Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo (November 1, 1962 – May 6, 1989) was an American

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

drug dealer A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalati ...

and alleged

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal ...

leader who led an infamous drug-trafficking and

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism ...

gang in

Matamoros, Tamaulipas Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and the municipal seat of the homonymous municipality. It is on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from B ...

, Mexico, that was dubbed the Narcosatanists (Spanish: ''Los Narcosatánicos'') by the media. His cult members nicknamed him The Godfather (''El Padrino''). Constanzo led the cult with

Sara Aldrete Sara María Aldrete Villareal (born September 6, 1964) is a convicted Mexican serial killer who headed a drug-smuggling and human sacrifice cult with Adolfo Constanzo. The members of the cult, dubbed by the media as The Narcosatanists (Spanish: ...

, whom followers nicknamed "The Godmother" (''La Madrina''). The cult was involved in multiple ritualistic killings in Matamoros, including the

murder of Mark Kilroy On 14 March 1989, University of Texas at Austin student Mark James Kilroy was kidnapped in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, while vacationing during spring break. He was taken by his abductors to a ranch where he was tortured and sodomized for ...

, an American student abducted, tortured and killed in the area in 1989.

Early life

Adolfo Constanzo was born in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

, to Delia Aurora González, a Cuban immigrant in 1962. She gave birth to Adolfo at the age of 15 and eventually had three children, by different fathers. Delia moved to

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, Puerto Rico, after her first husband died and remarried there. Constanzo was baptized

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and served as an

altar boy An altar server is a laity, lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up t ...

, but also accompanied his mother on trips to

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

to learn about Vodou. Constanzo's family returned to Miami in 1972 and his stepfather died soon after, leaving the family with some money. As a teenager, he became apprenticed to a local sorcerer and began to practice a religion called

Palo Mayombe Palo, also known as Las Reglas de Congo, is an African diasporic religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th or early 20th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional Kongo religion of Central Africa, the Rom ...

, which involves

animal sacrifice Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing and offering of one or more animals, usually as part of a religious ritual or to appease or maintain favour with a deity. Animal sacrifices were common throughout Europe and the Ancient Near East until the sp ...

. Delia remarried and his new stepfather was involved in both the religion and

drug dealing The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs throug ...

. Constanzo and his mother were arrested numerous times for

theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for so ...

vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and #Defacement, defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owne ...

and

shoplifting Shoplifting is the theft of goods from an open retail establishment, typically by concealing a store item on one's person, in pockets, under clothes or in a bag, and leaving the store without paying. With clothing, shoplifters may put on items ...

. He graduated from high school, but was expelled from

prep school Preparatory school or prep school may refer to: Schools *Preparatory school (United Kingdom), an independent school preparing children aged 8–13 for entry into fee-charging independent schools, usually public schools *College-preparatory school, ...

. As an adult, Constanzo moved to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...

and met the men who were to become his followers: Martín Quintana, Jorge Montes and Omar Orea. They began to run a profitable business casting spells to bring good luck, which involved expensive ritual sacrifices of chickens, goats, snakes, zebras and even lion cubs. Many of his clients were rich drug dealers and hitmen who enjoyed the violence of Constanzo's "magical" displays. He also attracted other rich members of Mexican society, including several high-ranking corrupt policemen who introduced him to the city's powerful

drug cartel A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when th ...

s. His cult was said to be associated with the notable Gulf Cartel. Constanzo started to raid graveyards for human bones to put in his ''nganga'', or

cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...

. Before long, his cult decided that the spirits of the dead that resided in the ''nganga'' would be stronger (providing the cult more powerful protection) with live

human sacrifice Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherei ...

s instead of old bones. The resulting killings soon totaled more than twenty victims, whose mutilated bodies were found in and around Mexico City. This process escalated until Constanzo eventually decided that the gang needed the power of a brain from an American student, culminating with the 1989

Murders

Constanzo began to believe that his magic, much of which he took from Palo Mayombe, was responsible for the success of the cartels and demanded to become a full business partner with one of the most powerful families he knew, the Calzadas. When his demand was rejected, seven family members disappeared. Their bodies turned up later with fingers, toes, ears, brains and even (in one case) the spine missing. Constanzo soon made friends with a new cartel, the Hernandez brothers. He also took up with a young woman named

, who became the high priestess of the cult. Constanzo made Aldrete second-in-command of his cult and directed her to supervise his followers while he was shipping

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in variou ...

over the border into the US. In 1988, Constanzo moved to Rancho Santa Elena, a house in the desert. It is there where he carried out more sadistic ritual murders, sometimes of strangers and other times of rival drug dealers. He also used the ranch to store huge shipments of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

and marijuana. On March 13, 1989, Constanzo's henchmen abducted a pre-med student, Mark Kilroy, from outside a Mexican bar and took him back to the ranch. Kilroy was a US citizen who had been in Mexico on spring break. When Kilroy was brought to the ranch, Constanzo murdered him. Under pressure from Texan politicians,

Mexican police The Federal Police ( es, Policía Federal, PF), formerly known as the (Federal Preventive Police) and sometimes referred to in the U.S. as "Federales", was a Mexican national police force formed in 1999 and folded into the National Guard in 2019. ...

initially picked up four of Constanzo's followers, including two of the Hernandez brothers. Police quickly discovered the cult and that Constanzo had been responsible for Kilroy's death; he sought a "good"/superior brain for one of his ritual spells. Officers raided the ranch and discovered Constanzo's cauldron, which contained various items such as a dead

black cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bomba ...

and a human brain. Fifteen mutilated corpses were dug up at the ranch, one of them Kilroy's. Officials said Kilroy was killed by Constanzo with a

machete Older machete from Latin America Gerber machete/saw combo San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca uses a machete to carve wood. ...

chop to the back of the neck when Kilroy tried to escape about 12 hours after being taken to the ranch.

Death

Constanzo fled to Mexico City with four of his followers. They were only discovered when police were called to the apartment because of an unrelated dispute taking place there. As the officers approached, Constanzo, mistakenly believing they had located him, opened fire with a machine gun. This brought in police reinforcements. Determined not to go to prison, he handed the gun to follower Álvaro de León and ordered him to open fire on him and Martín Quintana. By the time police reached the apartment, both Constanzo and Quintana were dead. De León, known as "El Duby", and Sara Aldrete were immediately arrested. A total of 14 cult members were charged with a range of crimes, from murder and drug-running to obstructing the course of justice. Sara Aldrete, Elio Hernández and Serafín Hernández were convicted of multiple murders and were ordered to serve prison sentences of over 60 years each. De León was given a 30-year term. If co-leader Aldrete is ever released from prison, American authorities plan to prosecute her for the murder of Mark Kilroy.

Possible accomplices

* Abel Lima "El Sodomita de Iztapalapa" (alleged suspect for the kidnappings in the mid-90s). * Rubén Estrada "Patitas Cortas" * Christian Campos "El Panzas" * Emmanuel Romero "El Trompas" * Saúl Sánchez "El Macaco" * Ricardo Peña "El Cepillín"

Documentaries

The

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

series ''

Most Evil ''Most Evil'' is an American forensics television program on Investigation Discovery, first aired in 2006, presented by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael H. Stone of Columbia University during the program's first three seasons, and by forensic p ...

'', by Dr. Michael Stone, profiled Constanzo in the 10th episode ("

Cult Leaders In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

") of the second season. Constanzo's "evil level" was 22, the highest. Constanzo was also profiled in the documentary ''

Instinto Asesino Instinto Asesino (, English: "Killer Instinct") is a series produced by Endemol Argentina for the Discovery Channel. Each episode portrays a notorious serial killer case that occurred in a country in Latin America. So far, cases depicted occurred ...

'', which aired on

Discovery en Español Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Chan ...

in 2010. The episode was entitled " El Padrino". On July 13, 2013, the

Investigation Discovery Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Amer ...

Channel profiled this crime in its ''Poisoned Passions'' series. The episode is titled "Sacrificial Evil". Constanzo was portrayed by actor Aldo Uribe. On March 1, 2018, the ID Channel series ''Pandora's Box: Unleashing Evil'' portrayed the crimes in an episode entitled "The Devil's Ranch".

Pop culture

*The song "Sacrificial Shack" by the band

Pain Teens Pain Teens was an experimental noise rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 1985 by Scott Ayers and Bliss Blood. The band used tape manipulation, digital delays, sampling, tape cut-ups and other effects in their music. They also included guit ...

is sung from the point of view of a cult member who confesses his crimes to the police after he is captured, taking the police to the Constanzo's ranch for an explanatory tour. *'' Borderland'' is a 2007 film loosely based on Constanzo and his cult. * Gruesome Fate, a Texas death metal band, performs a song called "Padrino de la Matamoros". It is a song about the ritual killings which is a lead track on their 2016 release. *

Brujeria Various types of witchcraft and occult religious practices exist in Latin American and Afro-Caribbean cultures, known in Spanish as (pronounced ). Influenced by indigenous religion, Catholicism, and European witchcraft, the purpose may rang ...

, a

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

band whose lyrics focus on Satanism,

anti-Christianity Anti-Christian sentiment or Christophobia constitutes opposition or objections to Christians, the Christian religion, and/or its practices. Anti-Christian sentiment is sometimes referred to as Christophobia or Christianophobia, although these terms ...

, sex and drug smuggling, put a picture of a severed head (later nicknamed ''Coco Loco'') on their album ''

Matando Güeros ''Matando Güeros'' (Killing ''Güeros'') is the debut album by the band Brujeria. "Güero" is a Mexican-Spanish slang term for a blonde or light skinned/haired person. The album talks mostly about controversial topics in Mexico like drug traffic ...

''. The head is believed to be of a victim of Adolfo Constanzo cult. * Japanese

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

band

Church of Misery is a Japanese doom metal band from Tokyo, formed in 1995. Church of Misery's musical style melds early Black Sabbath-style doom with psychedelic rock; most of the band's songs are about serial killers and mass murderers. Bassist Tatsu Mikami h ...

reference Constanzo in their song "El Padrino" (

Godfather Godfather most often refers to a male godparent in the Christian tradition. Godfather, God Father, or variants may also refer to: Crime * A synonym for crime boss * Capo dei capi, Italian for "boss of all bosses" People * The Godfather (wrestl ...

, in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

). It appears on their ''Houses of the Unholy'' album, each song being about a serial killer/mass murderer. *

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

Psych Rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording tech ...

Noise Rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extrem ...

band Narcosatanicos is allegedly named after the cult headed by Constanzo. *In the film ''

Perdita Durango ''Perdita Durango'', released as ''Dance with the Devil'' in the United States, is a 1997 action-crime- horror film directed by Álex de la Iglesia, based on Barry Gifford's 1992 novel ''59° and Raining: The Story of Perdita Durango''. It stars R ...

'', two white American teenagers are kidnapped by Hispanic criminals (escaped from the

DEA The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic en ...

), who attempt a Santeria human sacrifice.

Podcasts

* "Adolfo Constanzo: The Narcosatanists & The Matamoros Cult Killings", ''Lights Out Podcast''. March 26, 2021. *Adolfo Constanzo was the focus of the 1st episode of Unexplained Realms the podcast, titled, ''Devils Ranch'' . http://unexplainedrealms.com/ *

The Last Podcast on the Left ''The Last Podcast on the Left'' is a weekly podcast on the Last Podcast Network featuring comedian and podcast host Ben Kissel, podcast producer and researcher Marcus Parks, and comedian and actor Henry Zebrowski, all of whom are longtime fri ...

– Episodes 430-432 *"Los Narcosatanicos Murders", ''This is Awful''. February 25, 2021. https://www.thisisawfulpod.com/1435477/8026693-los-narcosatanicos-murders *Parcast Cults did a two episode story on Constanzo and the Narcosatanists, released on June 19 and 26, 2018. https://www.parcast.com/cults *"Los Narcosatanicos", ''Leyendas Legendarias''. released on May 19, 2019. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2tOq8uTF0lERaKCd339G8Y?si=A4ASjmfASUeh8klgNUP8HA&dl_branch=1 *"Narcosatanica". Released in September 2021. https://convoynetwork.com/narcosatanica

References

External links

Crime Library 2
another Court TV article on the "Death Priests"
Adolfo Constanzo
a
IMDb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constanzo, Adolfo 1962 births 1989 suicides American drug traffickers American occultists American people of Cuban descent Crimes involving Satanism or the occult Cult leaders Deaths by firearm in Mexico Former Roman Catholics Male serial killers Mexican serial killers People from Miami Puerto Rican people of Cuban descent Suicides by firearm in Mexico