Mexican police ask spirits to guard them in drug war

Summary

March 19, 2010: Afraid for their lives, Mexican police involved in the fight against drug gangs are turning to magical assistance for their protection. The practices blend Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santeria, and Mexican witchcraft. Specific practices include:

• Getting tattoos of vodoun spirits like the "three-horned Bosou Koblamin" who "protects his followers when they travel at night".
• Sacrificing chicken on beaches, especially on full moon nights.
• Worship of Santa Muerte.

The goal is to protect themselves from the black magic of the gangs as well as drug cartel hit men.

See Also

• Event/News: Mexico's death cult protests shrine destruction
• News: Police - U.S. teens were hit men for Mexican cartel

Source

Bibliography

1. Original article

Game and Story Use

• In a mundane campaign, police reaching for allegedly supernatural protection can be a symbol of the desperation of the authorities.
  • And the houngans, priests, shamans and so forth who offer this assistance might also have connections to the very criminals the police fights, resulting in leaks of supposedly secret police raids.
• Maybe there really is a supernatural war raging in Mexico where the future of the nation is decided by spirits as much as bullets. Dare the PCs - presumably mages or spirit summoners themselves - get involved in this mess?
• In a world where magic and supernatural entities are real, it might only be prudent for the police to seek such supernatural assistance. Indeed, it might be standard police procedure…
  • The presence of a houngan or mambo on a SWAT team might end up as routine as having animal control present - or, if ward magic is a big deal, they might be an extra member for the entry team.
  • Preparing and issuing amulets would also seem a sensible role, whether against hostile magic/spirits or against mundane hazards.
    • The known fad amongst the Mexican cartels for weird, custom calibres for their weapons could be an attempt to frustrate the bullet-with-your-name-on-it amulet … perhaps the less similar the round you are wearing and the one fired at you, the less effective the amulet.
• Could be a lot worse - they could be going full Aztec and sacrificing people.
• For obvious reasons, this can easily be imported into the USA…