Mexican corrido band sees U.S. visas canceled after displaying cartel photos
During their March 29 show at the University of Guadalajara, the band put an illustrated depiction of Cervantes — a key player in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — on a mega-screen while playing their song 'El Dueño del Palenque.' Videos of the incident were captured on social media.
The State Department's actions terminated the band's plans to tour in the U.S., which would have begun April 4 in Tulsa, Okla., and included a May 25 stop in L.A. County at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena.
On Tuesday, Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary of State, confirmed the report on X.
'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' Landau said in his post. 'A Mexican band, Los Alegres del Barranco, portrayed images glorifying drug kingpin 'El Mencho' — head of the grotesquely violent CJNG cartel — at a recent concert in Mexico,' he wrote.
'I'm pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members' work and tourism visas. In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners' access to our country. The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.'
A month prior to Landau's announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the State Department designated eight cartels and transnational organizations — including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Criticism of Los Alegres del Barranco came from both sides of the border, as there has been increased public outcry in Mexico about the praise found for crime bosses in regional Mexican music. One of the vocal critics of the band's actions was Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum.
'That shouldn't happen. It's not right,' Sheinbaum said of the incident during a March 31 press conference. 'You can't apologize for violence nor for criminal groups.' The president also called for there to be an investigation of what occurred at the concert.
But this isn't the first time CJNG has been associated with regional Mexican artists.
Last month, a federal jury convicted the chief executive of Del Records, a Bell Gardens-based label that produces música Mexicana, of conspiring to violate the Kingpin Statute that prohibits U.S. residents and companies from doing business with known drug traffickers and their associates.
In April 2018, Ángel Del Villar and his entertainment agency worked with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a Guadalajara-based music promoter who had been sanctioned by the Treasury Department, according to evidence presented in court.
Treasury Department officials said at the time that Pérez had laundered drug money for the CJNG and an affiliated trafficking group, Los Cuinis.
Pérez was accused of commingling the traffickers' profits with legitimate revenue from ticket and refreshment sales. He also promoted singers of narcocorridos, ballads that critics say 'glorify' traffickers and their crimes, Treasury officials stated.
Pérez had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to do business with sanctioned people connected to drug trafficking. He promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019. He was murdered in Mexico in December 2024.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Del Villar and Del Entertainment willfully did business with Pérez 'by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.'
In a statement issued by email, Del Villar's legal team said they strongly disagree with the March 27 verdict and plan to appeal. Del Villar is set to be sentenced Aug. 15 and faces up to 30 years in prison on each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.
Times' staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.
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