1st Edition

Narco-Cults Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars

By Tony M. Kail Copyright 2015
    346 Pages 261 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    345 Pages
    by Routledge

    Those who know about how spirituality plays into the world of drug smuggling have likely heard of Santa Muerte, Jesus Malverde, and Santería, but the details of the more obscure African religions and Latin American folk saints and cults often remain a mystery. While the vast majority of these religions are practiced by law-abiding citizens with no connections to the drug trade, their religious beliefs and practices are often appropriated by drug cartels and used to psychologically empower members of these organizations. Therefore, knowledge about narco-cults and spirituality related to the drug trade can be incredibly useful to narcotics officers, military and intelligence agents, and even the average street cop.

    Narco-Cults: Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars looks at the growing phenomenon of narco-cults and the use of indigenous spiritual traditions among drug trafficking organizations. Based on two decades of experience from one of the top consultants in the field, it provides investigative agencies with a means of identifying symbols, rituals, artifacts, and customs endemic to various drug trafficking organizations. The book features illustrations of altars, shrines, and tools along with detailed descriptions of their cultural significance and practical application in rituals and customs.

    Derived from empirical research, this sourcebook provides reliable information taken from ethnographic fieldwork, police reports, and interviews with practitioners. The knowledge contained herein will help build cultural competency among the many agencies investigating drug crimes.

    Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs)
    The war on drugs in Mexico
    Mexico’s drug war
    The cartels
    Street gangs
    Narcoterrorism
    Narco violence
    Narcocultura
    Narco terminology
    Narco corridos
    Narco entertainment
    Narco fashion
    Narco-cults
    Defining narco-cults
    The function of the narco-cult
    Order
    Ethics
    Protection
    The business of protecting drug traffickers
    Protection from law enforcement
    Protection from rivals
    Additional functions
    Indoctrination
    Types of narco-cults
    The role of religious culture in narco-cult investigations
    The importance of culture
    Defining culture
    Cultural competency
    Culture shock
    Family resemblances
    Sources of cultural intelligence
    Analyzing cultures
    Cultural context
    Anthropological terms
    Afro-caribbean religious cultures and african traditional religion
    Magico-religious cultures
    Spells and workings
    Magical mindset
    The effect on drug traffickers
    Santería (Regla de Ocha)
    Traffickers and the religion (case examples)
    Historical background
    Beliefs
    Deities of santería
    The ancestors
    Espiritismo
    Group structure
    Rituals and ceremonies
    Decoding the libreta
    Divination
    Offerings and sacrifices
    Trance possession
    Cleansings
    Festivals and holidays
    Incident and crime scenes
    Appropriation by DTOs
    Cultural terms
    Palo mayombe and bantu traditions (Las Reglas de Congo)
    Traffickers and the religion (case examples)
    Historical background
    Beliefs
    Deities of palo mayombe
    The nganga
    The cultural use of bones
    Sacred spaces
    Group structure
    Rituals and ceremonies
    Divination
    Sacrifices and offerings
    Initiation
    Herbalism
    Artifacts
    Working the nganga
    Appropriation of the religion
    Incident and crime scenes
    Cultural terms
    Mexican folk religions and practices
    Curanderismo
    Historical background
    Beliefs
    Group structure
    Patron saints and folk saints
    The cult of Santa Muerte
    Saint death
    Aztec religion
    Cultural terms
    Voodoo
    Traffickers and the religion (case examples)
    Historical background
    Beliefs
    Deities
    Spiritual bodies and guardians
    Group structure
    Artifacts
    Rituals
    Sacred days
    Altar and shrines
    Dominican voodoo (divisions)
    West african voodoo
    Cultural terms
    Christian-based groups
    La familia michoacana
    Coercive behaviors
    Divine justice
    Caballeros templarios
    Group structure
    Group practices and mythology
    Code of the knights templar
    Investigations
    Undercover operations
    Understanding cultural networks
    Interviewing subjects
    Tattoos
    Scarification
    Cultural reactions to law enforcement
    Intelligence gathering
    Interviewing cultural informants
    Deciphering communications
    Homicides
    Crime scenes
    Traffic stops
    Case law involving Narco Saints
    Grow operations
    Clandestine labs
    Customs protection
    Spells involving the law
    Officer perception and personal beliefs
    Dealing with the media
    A field guide for identifying artifacts
    Closing
    Glossary

    Biography

    Tony M. Kail

    "…an accurate and graphic description of life on the street in many parts of Mexico and even sporadically inside the United States as it relates to criminals who have fully embraced the darker side of narcocultura. …a highly useful resource that will educate and inform law enforcement officers who have found themselves up against the violent cultures (on both physical and spiritual levels) of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican drug gangs and cartels. The book will also have great utility for academics, policy analysts, and U.S. military and intelligence analysts conducting Mexican cartel and drug war research."
    —Robert Bunker, in Small Wars Journal