The existence of Malverde a.k.a. 'El Rey de Sinaloa' is not historically verified,[2] but according to local legends he was a bandit killed by the authorities on 3 May 1909. Accounts of his life vary – sometimes he was a railway worker, while others claim he was a construction worker. There is also no agreement on the way he died, being variously hanged or shot. Moreover, sometimes it is said he was betrayed by a friend for a reward. Some people say that he was hanged and the tree where he was hanged dried and never got green again

Since Malverde's death, he has earned a Robin Hood-type image, making him popular among Sinaloa's poor highland residents. The outlaw image has caused him to be adopted as the "patron saint" of the region's illegal drug trade, and the press have thus dubbed him "the narco-saint."[3] However, his intercession is also sought by those with troubles of various kinds, and a number of supposed miracles have been locally attributed to him, including personal healings and blessings.