Narco-Cults: Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars PDF
Preview Narco-Cults: Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars
LAW ENFORCEMENT NARCO-CULTS Kail NARCO-CULTS Understanding the Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars Mexican Religious Cultures Those who know about how spirituality plays into the world of drug smug- gling have likely heard of Santa Muerte, Jesus Malverde, and Santería, but the details of the more obscure African religions and Latin American folk saints in the Drug Wars 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, N their religious beliefs and practices are often appropriated by drug cartels and used to psychologically empower members of these organizations. Therefore, A knowledge about narco-cults and spirituality related to the drug trade can be R incredibly useful to narcotics officers, military and intelligence agents, and even the average street cop. C O Narco-Cults: Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican - Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars looks at the growing phenomenon C of narco-cults and the use of indigenous spiritual traditions among drug traf- ficking organizations. Based on two decades of experience from one of the U top consultants in the field, it provides investigative agencies with a means of L identifying symbols, rituals, artifacts, and customs endemic to various drug T trafficking organizations. The book features illustrations of altars, shrines, and S 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 practi- tioners. The knowledge contained herein will help build cultural competency among the many agencies investigating drug crimes. K20724 Tony M. Kail 6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 711 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 an informa business 2 Park Square, Milton Park www.crcpress.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK www.crcpress.com NARCO-CULTS Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars NARCO-CULTS Understanding the Use of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican Religious Cultures in the Drug Wars Tony M. Kail Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Version Date: 20150319 International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4665-9546-0 (eBook - PDF) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reason- able efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www. copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organiza- tion that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the CRC Press Web site at http://www.crcpress.com Dedication This book is dedicated to the men and women of law enforcement. Thank you for being the thin blue line. Thank you to every wife, husband, and child who stands behind an officer. In memory of the victims of the drug war. Contents Foreword ...........................................................................................................xv Preface .............................................................................................................xvii Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................xix About the Author ............................................................................................xxi Chapter 1 Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) .................1 The war on drugs in Mexico ............................................................................1 Mexico’s drug war ..............................................................................................2 The cartels .........................................................................................................22 Los Zetas .......................................................................................................23 Sinaloa Federation .......................................................................................26 Beltrán-Levya cartel ....................................................................................27 Gulf cartel .....................................................................................................28 Tijuana cartel ................................................................................................29 Juárez cartel ..................................................................................................30 La Familia Michoacana (LFM) ..................................................................30 Los Caballeros Templarios .........................................................................31 Street gangs .......................................................................................................32 Narcoterrorism .................................................................................................32 Narco violence ..................................................................................................34 Narcocultura .....................................................................................................34 Narco terminology ...........................................................................................36 Narco corridos ..................................................................................................38 Narco entertainment ........................................................................................39 Narco fashion ....................................................................................................40 References .........................................................................................................40 Chapter 2 Narco-cults .................................................................................43 Defining narco-cults ........................................................................................44 The function of the narco-cult .......................................................................46 Order ..................................................................................................................47 vii viii Contents Ethics ..................................................................................................................51 Protection ..........................................................................................................51 The business of protecting drug traffickers .................................................54 Protection from law enforcement ..................................................................56 Protection from rivals ......................................................................................56 Additional functions .......................................................................................57 Indoctrination ...................................................................................................57 Types of narco-cults .........................................................................................58 References .........................................................................................................58 Chapter 3 The role of religious culture in narco-cult investigation ...61 The importance of culture ..............................................................................61 Defining culture ...............................................................................................61 Cultural competency .......................................................................................62 Culture shock ....................................................................................................63 Family resemblances .......................................................................................65 Sources of cultural intelligence ......................................................................67 Analyzing cultures ..........................................................................................70 Cultural context ................................................................................................71 Anthropological terms ....................................................................................71 Afro-Caribbean religious cultures and African traditional religions .....72 Magico-religious cultures ...............................................................................74 Spells and workings ........................................................................................75 Magical mindset ...............................................................................................75 The effect on drug traffickers .........................................................................76 References .........................................................................................................77 Chapter 4 Santería (Regla de Ocha) .........................................................79 Traffickers and the religion (case examples) ................................................79 Historical background .....................................................................................81 Beliefs .................................................................................................................84 Deities of Santería ............................................................................................85 Elegua............................................................................................................86 Ogun .............................................................................................................88 Ochosi ...........................................................................................................88 Oshun ............................................................................................................89 Obatala ..........................................................................................................89 Shango...........................................................................................................89 Oya ................................................................................................................90 Yemaya ..........................................................................................................91 Babalu-aye ....................................................................................................91 Olokun ..........................................................................................................93 Orula .............................................................................................................93 Osain .............................................................................................................94
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