Ash Kelley

So it's like caked on in that car.

And as he started to turn away from the truck, though, something else caught his eye.

On the floor in the backseat of the car was a gray cement statue of what looked to the agent like some kind of demonic figure.

Not wanting to raise any alarms, he just went back to the car and waited for his partner, Morales, who came back a short time later.

Now, back at the station, the two agents checked in with their supervisor, Commander Juan Benitez, and gave him an update on what they had all seen at the ranch.

Now, Benitez had been raised in the traditional, I hope I say this correctly, Oaxacan community.

And he was more familiar with folk religions than the other agents were.

Oh, wow.

That's good that they had somebody that actually knew shit.

It really worked out because we're pulling on a thread here.

Yeah, for sure.

So when Benitez heard the description of the statue in the back of the car, he immediately recognized it as the statue of Alagua, who's a trickster god in Santeria.

And this god is recognized as the messenger to the supreme creator, Alawufi.

Oh, again, I really hope I'm saying all that right.

So Benitez explained that the trickster was a favorite among the drug traffickers to kind of worship and ask for protection, especially those who wanted to curse their enemies.

According to author Edward Humes, among the legends was the belief that

Whoa.

So that being the case, the promise of those powers would have made some of the greatest criminals in the world.

Yeah, I would say so.

And for that...