The Santa Muerte figure is heavily utilized by modern Mexican cartels as a patron saint of death to justify their actions, provide a sense of identity, and promote a culture that glorifies violence.

“Santa Muer is so prevalent in Mexico because it's such a Catholic country that they're so used to having just a church and saints and these things in their life that they found this saint and mixed it with Santa Santo and different elements of sa of Satanism like combined it to create their own patr”