Jesús Malverde Statue

A painted statue of Jesús Malverde sitting in a chair.

Accession Number:

2018.12.1

Jesús Malverde is a spiritual icon that originated in Sinaloa, Mexico, over one hundred years ago. Known as “The Generous Bandit” and “The Angel of the Poor,” Malverde represents different ideas and beliefs to the people who pray to him. He is not an official Catholic saint, but people have built shrines to him, especially in Culiacán, Sinaloa, the location of a Jesús Malverde chapel. Sinaloa is also where several Mexican drug traffickers are from. They, too, have embraced Malverde, believing he will protect them from harm and arrest.

This statue of Malverde was seized by DEA agents in 2013 while executing a federal search warrant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was accompanied by a picture of Malverde cradling the statue’s owner in his arms.

Click here to view this artifact’s episode of “Stories from the Collection,” a monthly video series on the DEA Museum’s most exciting objects.