La Santisima Muerte: Inside the Death Cult

KRGV NEWS Channel 5-- WESLACO – The worship of Santa Muerte, the Mexican grim reaper, has exploded in the Rio Grande Valley.Although, it is also showing up in other parts of the country too (click here)

She’s considered a saint by some, satanic by others. The U.S. government's labeled the religious movement as a "death cult."

NEWSCHANNEL 5 went undercover to learn the truth behind Sante Muerte, the saint of death.

We visited an herb shop in Brownsville Texas, and found her image everywhere. It was on candles, statues, and book.

A man behind the counter calls himself "maestro," which means teacher. He tells us the Santa Muerte has the power to grant lifesaving miracles and bring defeat to your enemies.

During our hour-long stay in the shop, the phone rings at least four times. Customers are calling to get the Santa Muerte to help them.The "teacher" describes the process of killing a man. He tells us he needs a full-body photo of the man. He says he’ll bury it in seven different cemeteries.

In Spanish, he explains, "This is a black job that I'm going to do. I will work with the saint of death."

Anthony Hudgins is a card reader who says he's ordained in witchcraft. He claims to know of many people who worship Mexico's grim reaper.

"They call her La Nina, Santa Muerte, La Santa," he says.

Hudgins tells us people who worship her are "mainly people in desperation…. criminals, drug dealers."

"They feel they have no other help," he says.

NEWSCHANNEL 5 met a woman selling Santa Muerte candles offering protection.

She explains, "You have to keep lighting the candle because the saint of death is very jealous."

The woman mentioned different candles do different things. One of them had a label with the words "Law Stay Away."

A U.S. Army intelligence web site describes La Santisima Muerte as "the death cult of the drug lords."

Foreign Military Studies Office's report: The Death Cult of the Drug Lords Mexico’s Patron Saint of Crime, Criminals, and the Dispossessed

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