Narco-saints are venerated through means condemned by the Catholic Church, although their rites are a form of folk Catholicism. While they may be venerated by non-criminals, criminal organizations tend to take their religious practices to extremes. In the case of Santa Muerte, some followers are known to commit human sacrifice on behalf of drug cartels.[2][3] The Drug Enforcement Administration says that narco-saints embolden drug cartels, and make them more dangerous, particularly because drug traffickers are "not afraid of death" if they worship them.[4]
Many drug cartel leaders have attempted to portray themselves as modern folk-heroes, often with religious aspects, creating