New Gang Symbol and Alert
As the Jail doctor for Floyd County this year, we are sent updated concerns about things in the police arena.
The most recent concern is about a mysterious image that has been appearing on the skin and in the writings of a number of criminal organizations. It is called or referred to as the ‘Santisima Muerte’ or ‘Holy Death’ and is an image that is finding popularity among members of gangs and of the Mexican drug cartels.
The images and emblems are shown in the pictures and occur on the skin as well as jewelry etc. Its exact origins are unknown, but there are a number of speculations that the icon comes from a mixture of Aztec heritage, Spanish Catholicism and even African religious culture.
The mythology of Santisima Muerte teaches that the spirit has the power to affect events in the lives of humans and includes events surrounding money, love and justice. Current literature and personal interviews with followers communicate a focus on the spirit’s power to protect criminals from law enforcement.
U.S. law enforcement agencies in Arizona, Florida, Tennessee and Texas have encountered shrines and altars to the saint inside dwellings of narcotics traffickers.
The image can be male or female in gender, and is depicted in a number of colors including red, black, gold, white and green. The colors represent the specific purpose that the statue is being used for in rituals. For example, a black statue represents protection and aggressive magic while red represents matters pertaining to love.
Offerings given to Santisima Muerte include gifts of flowers, fruit, coins, alcohol and cigarettes and traditional religious artifacts of the Catholic Church such as rosary beads and prayer cards may be found in some of these shrines.
There are no known established sacred texts or orthodox rituals associated with the image, but a traditional church has been established in Mexico with some branches throughout the United States.
Santisima Muerte is also honored by those who are not involved in criminal activity. Some believe she is simply a saint that can identify with the poor, the sick and the oppressed.
Santisima Muerte is but one of a few folk saints that are honored for the protective power over criminal activities. The folk saint ‘Jesus Malverde’ is a ‘robin hood’ of sorts from Sinaola Mexico that was hung for committing crimes in the early 1900s. His image is adorned on jewelry for his ability to protect narcotics traffickers from law enforcement authorities. He is also known as the ‘narco saint.’
The Santisima Muerte subculture appears to growing and a number of incidents surrounding the figure continue to give the spirit’s reputation more credibility as a protector of crime. Murdered victims of the notorious Mexican Gulf Cartel were left at a public shrine to Santisima Muerte in Monterrey Mexico on May 11, 2007. Reports of shrines discovered among drug labs and in the homes of drug dealers continue to grow.
The most recent concern is about a mysterious image that has been appearing on the skin and in the writings of a number of criminal organizations. It is called or referred to as the ‘Santisima Muerte’ or ‘Holy Death’ and is an image that is finding popularity among members of gangs and of the Mexican drug cartels.
The images and emblems are shown in the pictures and occur on the skin as well as jewelry etc. Its exact origins are unknown, but there are a number of speculations that the icon comes from a mixture of Aztec heritage, Spanish Catholicism and even African religious culture.
The mythology of Santisima Muerte teaches that the spirit has the power to affect events in the lives of humans and includes events surrounding money, love and justice. Current literature and personal interviews with followers communicate a focus on the spirit’s power to protect criminals from law enforcement.
U.S. law enforcement agencies in Arizona, Florida, Tennessee and Texas have encountered shrines and altars to the saint inside dwellings of narcotics traffickers.
The image can be male or female in gender, and is depicted in a number of colors including red, black, gold, white and green. The colors represent the specific purpose that the statue is being used for in rituals. For example, a black statue represents protection and aggressive magic while red represents matters pertaining to love.
Offerings given to Santisima Muerte include gifts of flowers, fruit, coins, alcohol and cigarettes and traditional religious artifacts of the Catholic Church such as rosary beads and prayer cards may be found in some of these shrines.
There are no known established sacred texts or orthodox rituals associated with the image, but a traditional church has been established in Mexico with some branches throughout the United States.
Santisima Muerte is also honored by those who are not involved in criminal activity. Some believe she is simply a saint that can identify with the poor, the sick and the oppressed.
Santisima Muerte is but one of a few folk saints that are honored for the protective power over criminal activities. The folk saint ‘Jesus Malverde’ is a ‘robin hood’ of sorts from Sinaola Mexico that was hung for committing crimes in the early 1900s. His image is adorned on jewelry for his ability to protect narcotics traffickers from law enforcement authorities. He is also known as the ‘narco saint.’
The Santisima Muerte subculture appears to growing and a number of incidents surrounding the figure continue to give the spirit’s reputation more credibility as a protector of crime. Murdered victims of the notorious Mexican Gulf Cartel were left at a public shrine to Santisima Muerte in Monterrey Mexico on May 11, 2007. Reports of shrines discovered among drug labs and in the homes of drug dealers continue to grow.
posted by Anonymous at 6:10 AM
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