Jesús Malverde

Jesús Malverde
Jesús Malverde image
Angel of the Poor, Generous Bandit, The Narco Saint
Born24 December 1870
Sinaloa, Mexico
Died3 May 1909 (age 38)
Sinaloa, Mexico
Venerated inSinaloa; Folk Catholicism
Major shrineCuliacán, Mexico
Feast3 May
PatronageMexican drug cartels, drug trafficking, outlaws, bandits, robbers, thieves, smugglers, people in poverty

Jesús Malverde (pronounced [xeˈsus malˈbeɾde] lit.'bad-green Jesus'; born Jesús Juárez Matzo Campos, 24 December 1870 – 3 May 1909), commonly referred to as the "generous bandit", "angel of the poor", or the "narco-saint", was a Mexican bandit and folklore hero in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

He was of Yoreme and Spanish heritage. He is a "Robin Hood" figure who was supposed to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor. He is celebrated as a folk saint by some in Mexico and the United States, including among drug traffickers.