Arturo Beltrán Leyva—a key leader of the criminal organization that bore his surname and, for years, an ally of the Sinaloa Cartel—cultivated, according to the account of Sergio Villarreal Barragán (known as “El Grande”), a personal approach to faith composed of symbols, rituals, and superstitions.
It was not a conventional form of religiosity. Testimony gathered in the book *Narcocracia* by journalist Anabel Hernández describes a man who presented himself as a Catholic: he attended Mass, kept images of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Saint Jude Thaddeus in his residences, erected altars for deceased relatives, and made donations to the Church. Yet, at the same time, he practiced Santería rituals, wore colored necklaces, engaged in animal sacrifices, and based his business and security decisions on the counsel of a Cuban spiritual advisor known as “El Willy.”
Villarreal Barragán’s account offers a glimpse into the contradictions inherent in criminal power: a boss who would pray before starting his day, while simultaneously commanding an armed apparatus linked to drug trafficking, violent operations, and institutional corruption.
According to “El Grande,” Arturo Beltrán Leyva maintained a visible connection to Catholic symbols. He claims that in the safe houses and offices Beltrán Leyva occupied, there were altars dedicated to Saint Jude Thaddeus and the Virgin of Guadalupe. Furthermore, on occasions such as the Day of the Dead, he would have *ofrendas* (altars/offerings) set up, featuring photographs of deceased family members and close associates.
Villarreal Barragán maintains that Beltrán Leyva also visited churches in Mexico City. Among the places mentioned is the Parish of Our Lady of Hope in the Resurrection of the Lord, located in the Perisur area, near one of the residences that the kingpin allegedly used in Jardines del Pedregal.
