Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo, a Cuban-American drug lord, was found after his death in a shoot-out to have ritually sacrificed at least eleven men, women and children to Santa Muerte at the altar at his ranch in Tamaulipas. Among them was a University of Texas student, Mark Kilroy, kidnapped while in Mexico for spring break.
The article says Santa Muerte didn't re-arise until after the turn of the millenium. This (famous) case happened in the late 80s, before the rise of Santa Muerte. It's a notorious case and I'm bewildered the author tosses it in there. Those cult leaders practiced a mixture of Palo Mayombe and Santamaria, but made up a lot of stuff too (and threw in tarot cards for good measure). Constanzo is classified as a serial killer. Totally different.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Mark_Kilroy#Profile_of_cult_leaders