Narco-Tourism-Cartel Cemetery in Sinaloa

Exploring Narco-Culture: A Weekend Trip to Culiacán, Sinaloa

August 2021: For a quick weekend getaway, my wife, a friend, and I flew directly from Tijuana to Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa, with plans to return via Mazatlán. Our goal? To better understand the region’s narco-culture and history—something that has defined Sinaloa’s global reputation.

Culiacán: The Heart of the Sinaloa Cartel

Sinaloa is home to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world, responsible for trafficking cocaine and other illicit drugs, primarily into the U.S.. Culiacán, as the cartel’s stronghold, is ground zero for narco-culture—a place where its history, influence, and folklore are deeply ingrained in everyday life.

A Notorious Reputation: Reality vs. Perception

Culiacán has long been labeled as one of Mexico’s most dangerous cities, infamous for cartel-related street shootouts, kidnappings, and lawlessness. Even many Mexicans avoid traveling there.

However, in my experience, places with such notorious reputations often turn out to be far more nuanced, genuine, and interesting than the headlines suggest. With the right precautions and local awareness, destinations like Culiacán are rarely as dangerous as advertised. Instead, they often offer a unique window into a culture shaped by both hardship and resilience.

Map of Sinaloa State-We flew into Culiacan and traveled by car to Mazatlán, a few hours to the south.

The 2019 Culiacán Siege: When the Cartel Took Over the City

Cartel-related violence in Culiacán reached a breaking point in 2019 when El Chapo’s son, Ovidio Guzmán, was captured by Mexican Federal Police. The Sinaloa Cartel’s response was swift and overwhelming—they mobilized a small army, recruiting villagers from surrounding areas with promises of cash, weapons, and security for their families if they didn’t return.

Culiacán Held Hostage

Within hours, convoys of pickup trucks packed with hundreds of armed villagers and cartel soldiers stormed the city, blocking roads, setting vehicles ablaze, and leaving a path of destruction. Police officers were ambushed and captured, while cartel forces laid siege to government buildings.

A Government Defeated

With Culiacán effectively held hostage, the Mexican government had no choice—fearing an all-out war in the streets, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador made the controversial decision to release Ovidio Guzmán in exchange for peace.

This event, known as “El Culiacanazo”, marked one of the most visible displays of cartel power in Mexico’s history, proving that in Sinaloa, the cartel—not the government—dictates the rules.

Jardines de Humaya: The Narco Cemetery of Culiacán

Our first stop upon arriving in Culiacán was the Jardines de Humaya, known as the Narco Cemetery—a private burial ground primarily housing fallen Sinaloa Cartel members.

Luxury Even in Death

Unlike any cemetery I had ever seen, Jardines de Humaya is filled with extravagant tombs, some reportedly costing up to a million dollars to build. Many are equipped with bulletproof glass, security systems, air-conditioning, satellite TV, Wi-Fi, and indoor living spaces where family and friends can sleep overnight and host parties.

Though not everyone buried here is connected to the cartel, I was told that many are—making it an unofficial shrine to narco-culture.

A Cemetery That Doesn’t Welcome Visitors

Jardines de Humaya is far from a tourist attraction—in fact, it officially does not allow visitors. Before our trip, I had emailed the cemetery administration to ask whether it was open, given the COVID-related shutdowns in Sinaloa. The response was brief: “Closed to visitors,” with no further explanation.

Aside from being unwelcome, visiting the cemetery carries inherent risks:

• Encounters with cartel members paying respects to fallen associates—such interactions are unpredictable and can turn dangerous quickly.
• Armed banditry, often reported by visitors, with some rumors that even the cemetery guards are involved.
• Occasional gunfights between rival narco-gangs within the cemetery grounds.

Despite the risks, Jardines de Humaya remains a symbol of the blurred lines between power, wealth, and mortality in the world of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Cemetery Crypts that look like luxury condos

A Cemetery of Fallen Kingpins: Narco Tombs of Jardines de Humaya

While most cartel figures buried in Jardines de Humaya were affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, not all belonged to El Chapo’s empire. The cemetery also holds notable members of rival cartels, including the Juárez and Guadalajara Cartels.

Just as they lived by violence, most of these cartel figures died the same way, their lives ending in tragedy, betrayal, and bloodshed.

Notable Cartel Figures Buried in Jardines de Humaya

The cemetery is essentially a who’s who of Mexico’s drug war history, housing the tombs of some of the most infamous cartel leaders, assassins, and family members:

• The son of Don Neto – Ex-leader of the Guadalajara Cartel.
• Amado Carrillo Fuentes (“Lord of the Skies”) – Ex-leader of the Juárez Cartel, notorious for dying during plastic surgery while trying to change his identity.
• El Chapo’s brother – A key Sinaloa Cartel figure.
• El Azul – Former Sinaloa Cartel boss, once considered the brains behind the cartel’s success.
• The wife and two children of Luis Palma – Sinaloa Cartel figure, whose family was brutally murdered by rivals.
• El Chino Ántrax – High-profile Sinaloa Cartel hitman, once head of the Ántrax enforcement group.
• The Beltrán-Leyva brothers – Ex-leaders of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, once allies of El Chapo, later his sworn enemies.

And the list goes on—a chilling reminder of how fleeting power is in the world of cartels.

Jardines de Humaya is more than just a cemetery—it’s a graveyard of Mexico’s narco-history, a symbol of wealth, violence, and the brutal fate that awaits even the most powerful drug lords.

Tomb of the Lord of the Skies, Amado Carrilo Fuentes, leader of the Juarez Cartel who piloted cocaine in 727’s, he later died in a botched plastic surgery to try and change his appearance to evade capture.

Tomb of El Azule, Ex-leader of Sinoloa Cartel

A Cautious Visit to Jardines de Humaya

Knowing the risks involved, I took extra safety precautions when visiting Jardines de Humaya. I chose to go on a Saturday morning, ensuring it was broad daylight, and hired a local Sinaloan fixer and driver, Ricardo, to take us.

Ricardo had a friend buried in the cemetery, which gave us a legitimate reason to be there if questioned. Our plan was simple:

• Stay as close to the vehicle as possible to ensure a quick exit if needed.
• Keep all valuables hidden away in the car to avoid drawing attention.
• Avoid interactions with anyone beyond our intended visit.

Gaining Entry Without Permission

As we approached the cemetery gates, Ricardo waved casually at the guard and, without hesitation, drove right in. He later admitted that if he had stopped to ask permission, we would have almost certainly been denied entry.

With the cemetery’s reputation for hostility toward visitors, this calculated approach was the only way to get inside without raising suspicion.

Crypt of El Chapo’s Brother

Exploring Jardines de Humaya: A Walk Among Narco Tombs

We parked the car and cautiously stepped out, staying extra vigilant of our surroundings. Before us stretched rows of extravagant crypts, some resembling luxury condos, others built like chapels adorned with angelic statues. One was designed like the Taj Mahal, while another featured ancient Greek architecture—a bizarre mix of opulence and excess in a place meant for the dead.

The only visible activity in the cemetery was that of landscapers and construction crews, busy maintaining the grounds and building new crypts—a morbid reminder that this graveyard was still expanding.

A Grave Digger’s Secrets

Wanting to locate the most infamous narco tombs, Ricardo found a gravedigger and discreetly asked for his help. He was hesitant but agreed—for a tip. His one condition was that we could not take photos of him or walk too closely, fearing for his safety and job security.

As we followed at a careful distance, he pointed out crypts and shared the macabre history of their occupants. Despite his eagerness to talk, he—like us—constantly looked over his shoulder, paranoid that someone might be watching or following us.

The Crypts of Cartel Lords

Many crypts were equipped with security cameras, their occupants still under surveillance even in death. Some had windows, allowing visitors to peer inside at personal memorabilia—photos, religious items, and tokens of a life lived fast and violently ended.

What struck me most was the eeriness of it all—a place where power and wealth followed men beyond the grave, but fear and paranoia still loomed in the air.

Tomb of man with a mural of him holding an automatic rifle

Glorifying Violence in Death: Narco Symbolism in the Tombs of Jardines de Humaya

Walking through the cemetery, it was clear that violence was not just a way of life for these men—it was a legacy they carried even in death. Many tombs were adorned with imagery that glorified their criminal pasts, reflecting the narco-culture’s deep ties to power, violence, and mysticism.

One tomb featured a mural of the deceased holding an automatic rifle, as if still guarding his empire from beyond the grave. Others were decorated with images of Santa Muerte, the folk saint of death, often revered by cartel members and criminals who believe she offers protection and guidance in the violent world of drug trafficking.

The Tomb of Marcos Arturo Beltrán Leyva

Among the most infamous graves was that of Marcos Arturo Beltrán Leyva, the former leader of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel. Along with his brothers Carlos, Alfredo, and Héctor, he founded one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations, which was once allied with El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel before turning into sworn rivals.

His crypt stood as a monument to a life of crime, but like so many others buried here, his rise to power ended in violence, a fate shared by nearly every cartel figure laid to rest in Jardines de Humaya.

Tomb of Beltrán Leyva Cartel

The Leyva Tomb: A False Image of Family and a Legacy of Violence

The Beltrán-Leyva tomb displayed photos of its occupants as family men, yet their real lives were far from that image. Marcos Arturo Beltrán Leyva, once a top cartel kingpin, met a violent end in 2009, following two intense battles with Mexican Marines.

A Bloody Capture and Brutal Retaliation

• First Ambush: Leyva was cornered by Mexican Marines in a firefight that left dozens dead, but he managed to escape.
• Second Ambush: Soon after, Marines tracked him down again, leading to another deadly shootout—this time, Leyva was killed.

But the violence didn’t end there. In a brutal act of revenge, surviving members of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel retaliated by assassinating the mother and family of a fallen Mexican Marine, just one day after his funeral.

Even in death, the cycle of cartel violence continued, showing that in the world of narco-trafficking, no one—not even family—is off-limits.

Tomb of the Girlfriend of El Chino Anthrax

A Grim Reminder: The Fate of El Chino Ántrax’s Girlfriend

Inside one of the tombs, a simple portrait and a few flowers were all that remained of El Chino Ántrax’s girlfriend—a stark contrast to the extravagant mausoleums surrounding it.

Her tragic fate was a chilling reminder of how brutal the world of narco-trafficking can be, where even those closest to cartel figures are never truly safe.

She was targeted by a rival cartel and kidnapped in broad daylight outside her gym in Culiacán—a brazen act committed in front of bystanders who could do nothing.

Later, she was taken to the desert, where she was tortured and viciously murdered. In a final act of terror and intimidation, her decapitated head was sent to El Chino Ántrax as a message—a gruesome symbol of how merciless cartel warfare can be.

Her tomb, far less elaborate than those of cartel leaders, stood as a quiet but haunting testament to the collateral damage of a world ruled by violence, betrayal, and revenge.

Tomb of Don Neto’s son, who was shot to death at a boxing match

El Chino Ántrax: The Fall of a Flashy Cartel Hitman

The gravedigger led us to the tomb of El Chino Ántrax, one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s most infamous hitmen. Unlike many cartel figures who operated in secrecy, El Chino was different—he flaunted his wealth, power, and global travels on social media, a move that likely contributed to his downfall.

From Sicario to Instagram Jetsetter

El Chino Ántrax rose quickly in the Sinaloa Cartel, amassing a small fortune through his work as a sicario (hitman) and high-ranking enforcer. With his wealth, he lived a lavish lifestyle, jet-setting to Europe, Africa, and Asia, and posting extravagant vacation photos on Instagram—a rare move for someone in his line of work.

But his time at the top was short-lived.

Capture, Release, and a Brutal Betrayal

• Captured in Amsterdam, he was eventually extradited to Mexico and placed under house arrest while awaiting trial.
• For reasons unknown, he fell out of favor with the Sinaloa Cartel—perhaps they feared he would cut a deal with authorities.
• In 2020, a Sinaloan death squad stormed his house, engaging in a shootout.
• Out of ammunition, El Chino and his entire family were executed in cold blood.

A Cemetery of Death and Intimidation

As we stood at his tomb, the gravedigger shared an even more disturbing story—a few years ago, several decapitated heads were left in this very area of the cemetery overnight. The message was clear: even in death, no one is truly untouchable in the world of cartels.

El Chino Antrax-Sicario for Sinaloa Cartel

Vacation photos of El Chino inside of the Tomb of El Chino Antrax-Sicario

Tomb of Hector Palma’s children, who weremurdered by a rival cartle by being thrown off a bridge in Venezuela

A Haunting Farewell

Every story was as dark as the next—a relentless cycle of violence, betrayal, and death. After an hour in Jardines de Humaya, overwhelmed by grim tales of executions and revenge, I knew it was time to leave.

Lingering any longer felt like tempting fate. As we drove away, the opulent narco tombs faded in the rearview, but the haunting reality of Culiacán’s underworld stayed with me—a stark reminder that even in death, there is no peace.

Jesus Malverde 

The Shrine of Jesús Malverde: Patron Saint of the Poor and Narcos

Our next stop was the shrine of Jesús Malverde, a folk saint revered by both poor Sinaloan villagers and cartel members.

Malverde was a bandit in the 1800s, known as a Robin Hood figure who stole from the rich and gave to the poor during a time of Mexican dictatorship. Eventually, he was captured and publicly executed, with his body left to rot as a warning to others.

Despite this, his legend endured, and today, many in Sinaloa believe his spirit offers protection—both to the innocent and those who have chosen a life of crime.

A Saint for the Cartels

Cartel members are known to visit Malverde’s shrine, leaving offerings in exchange for blessings before carrying out a hit on a rival. His image is found not just in the shrine, but in Sinaloan homes, where smaller altars stand as symbols of faith and protection.

Worker at Jesus Malverde Shrine Conducting Blessing Ritual of Malverde Bust that we purchased

A Local’s Perspective: Ricardo’s Disgust for Narco-Life

As we drove through Culiacán, Ricardo asked why we had come. When I told him we wanted to understand Narco-Culture, he shook his head in disapproval.

To him, there was nothing glamorous about cartel life. He pulled out his phone and showed me videos circulating on social media—street shootouts, dead bodies, and kidnappings in broad daylight. One clip showed a man being thrown into a trunk by armed cartel gunmen, a scene that had become all too familiar in his city.

Ricardo shared his own experiences—times when he had to lock himself inside his house or flee to safety as violent uprisings erupted around him.

With emphatic disgust, he said, “Nothing about Narco-life interests me. I just want Culiacán to move past this and find peace.”

From Culiacán to Mazatlán: A Journey Through Contrasts

Leaving Culiacán, we embarked on the two-hour drive to Mazatlán, passing through vast agricultural lands and occasional truck stops. Along the way, Ricardo pointed out a disturbing sight—drug dealers on motorcycles pulling up to trucks, openly dealing meth. The stimulant is widely used by truck drivers to stay awake for long hauls, a stark reminder of how deeply ingrained the drug trade is in everyday life here.

A Stop at Las Labradas Beach

Breaking up the drive, we pulled off at Las Labradas Beach, a pristine, untouched stretch of sand and rock. The area was home to ancient petroglyphs, carved into the stone by an indigenous civilization hundreds of years ago. These symbols, etched into time, stood in stark contrast to the modern chaos of cartel-dominated Sinaloa.

Arriving in Mazatlán: A Change of Pace

We finally reached Mazatlán, a bustling resort city on the stunning Sea of Cortez. After days of intensity and immersion in Narco-culture, the ocean breeze and golden coastline felt like an entirely different world. We checked into our beachfront hotel, where we finally exhaled, unwinding poolside with the Pacific stretching out before us—a much-needed moment of peace.

Las Labradas Beach-pictograph of a witch 

Paula in the infinity pool at our hotel overlooking Mazatlan