Saint Jesus Malverde: Patron Saint of Drug Dealers

Just to be clear, Jesus Malverde is not an officially recognized saint by the Vatican. But don't tell that to the countless believers who flock to his shrine and offer prayers.

Malverde is a folklore hero in Mexico and legend says he was a bandit killed by law enforcement on May 3, 1909. His manner of demise often changes, from hanging to epic shootout, making his life a veritable choose-your-own-adventure of turn of the century Mexican violence. Some tales even say he was betrayed by a friend for a reward, while others claim he once turned water into black tar heroin.

So Why Drug Dealers?

In the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Malverde has been turned into a Robin Hood figure, robbing from the rich and selling drugs for profit. This outlaw image made him popular amongst the poor and the drug trafficking business adopted him as their Patron Saint. He has a shrine in Culiacan where thousands travel to ask for miracles. Not being picked up by DEA while praying there is one such miracle.

Writer Sam Quinones says that there is no evidence that the Malverde of the legend ever lived, and that the story probably emerged by mixing material from the lives of two documented Sinaloan bandits, Heraclio Bernal (1855-1888) and Felipe Bachomo (1883-1916). Bernal was a thief from southern Sinaloa who later became an anti-government rebel. Cañedo offered a reward for his capture, and he was betrayed and killed by former colleagues. Bachemo was an indigenous Indian rebel from northern Sinaloa who was captured and executed. 

If Quinones is correct, that the Malverde legend is a hodge podge of stories from two historical bandits, that begs the question: Which one of those guys turned the water into heroin?