Latest news with #ElMencho
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican Singer Cancels on 50,000 Fans After US Visa Revoked
A popular Mexican singer had to cancel his concert for 50,000 fans in Texas after his U.S. visa was revoked. Julión Álvarez apologized to his Arlington fans in a video message posted on Instagram. 'We don't have the ability to come to the US and fulfill our commitment to you,' said Álvarez, who has been nominated for numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. 'The event will be postponed, until we hear what comes next.' Álvarez shared that he was not given a reason for the visa cancellation, and CNN reported that a Department of State spokesperson declined to comment on Álvarez's case. The Guardian reported that this is the second time the state department has blocked a Mexican band from entering the country. In April, Los Alegres del Barranco had its members' visas revoked after it projected an image of drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias 'El Mencho,' onscreen during a concert. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., sentenced El Mencho's son to life in prison earlier this year for helping run the cartel.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mexican singer cancels show in Texas citing visa revocation
A popular Mexican singer had to cancel a concert in Texas scheduled for Saturday after the Trump administration allegedly revoked his visa, preventing him from entering the country. The singer, Julión Álvarez, was supposed to perform for 50,000 fans at the Arlington, Texas, stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play but was informed that his visa was revoked with no further information, according to a video statement he posted on Instagram. 'We don't have the ability to come to the US and fulfill our commitment to you,' the singer said. 'The event will be postponed, until we hear what comes next.' A state department spokesperson declined a request from CNN to comment on the visa status of Álvarez, who has been nominated for numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. In April, the state department revoked the visas of members of another Mexican band, Los Alegres del Barranco, after they projected the image of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias 'El Mencho', during a concert. El Mencho is the leader of Mexico's Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), which has been designated a terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, El Mencho's son was sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge in Washington for helping run the cartel. The alleged revocation of Álvarez's visa comes eight years after the musician's prior trouble with US authorities. The US treasury department sanctioned Álvarez in 2017 for allegedly working with a Mexican organized crime group allied to the CJNG, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled US tour. Álvarez has denied all allegations of ties to the cartels. In June 2022, the sanctions were removed and he was permitted to re-enter the US to perform. Now it appears he is in the US government's crosshairs once again. Others in the Mexican music world have also been targeted by US officials for alleged criminal ties. In March, the chief executive of Del Records, Ángel Del Villar, was found guilty by a federal jury in Los Angeles of working with a Mexico-based music promoter who was laundering money for the CJNG. Another prominent Mexican singer, Gerardo Ortiz, had pleaded guilty to related charges and testified against Del Villar, his former boss. The music promoter in question, who had laundered money for the criminal groups, had previously pleaded guilty in the US. He was murdered in Mexico City in December. The Trump administration has reportedly also started to revoke the visas of prominent Mexican politicians that US authorities believe have ties to drug-trafficking organizations. So far, two Mexican politicians have publicly acknowledged their ban from the US: Marina del Pilar Ávila, the governor of the state of Baja California, and her husband, former congressman Carlos Torres Torres. ProPublica reported this month that there is a list of prominent political figures who are being targeted by the US for visa revocations. The list of officials, compiled recently by the White House, reportedly overlaps with another 2019 list compiled by DEA agents of allegedly corrupt Mexican officials. That year, Mexico's then president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, severely limited DEA agents' work in the country, infuriating the agency, which saw it as an attempt to block its work in attempting to stem the flow of fentanyl. The DEA still operates in Mexico, alongside other US law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and others.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Two of Mexico's most violent drug gangs 'form super cartel'
Two of the most violent drugs gangs in Mexico are feared to have joined forces to form a 'super cartel.' The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the 'Los Chapitos' faction of the Sinaloa Cartel are feared to have put aside their differences and joined forces to create a massive syndicate that many fear will make them deadlier than the sum of their individual parts. New video footage that has been shared across social media apparently shows dozens of heavily armed members of both cartels kneeling together in the dead of night. The person holding the camera says as it pans, referring to a nickname for members of the Los Chapitos cartel: 'This is just about to get started. The rumours are true, the alliance between the New Generation Cartel and La Chapiza is confirmed.' The cameraman also refers to the head of the CJNG Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as as El Mencho, and to one of Joaquín Guzmán Loera's sons who have been identified as leaders of the notorious gangs. As the video ends, the group of men fired their weapons into the air in celebration. The apparent merger, if confirmed, would be a massive shift in cartel politics. Los Chapitos is an offshoot of the Sinaloa Cartel that has long been fighting with other factions in the massive crime syndicate. It has long considered CJNG a mortal enemy. In 2016, Jesús and Iván Salazar, two sons of the infamous Sinaloa leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Loera, were kidnapped by CJNG operatives from a restaurant in an upscale part of Puerto Vallarta, which lies in CJNG territory. They were later released without harm. But it appears that Los Chapitos has put aside its hatred for CJNG. While the exact date of origin of the video is not currently known, it began circulating across the internet just weeks after the American Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) revealed it was worried that CJNG and Los Chapitos were joining forces. It said in the memo, released earlier this month, that the move may have come about in response to inter-factional warfare within the Sinaloa Cartel. The report reads: 'CJNG could capitalize on the conflict between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, essentially by choosing sides in favour of their former rivals, Los Chapitos, against Los Mayos.' The DEA said that the consequences of this merger would be catastrophic: 'A strategic alliance between CJNG and Los Chapitos has the potential to expand these groups' territories, resources, firepower, and access to corrupt officials, which could result in a significant disruption to the existing balance of criminal power in Mexico and could serve to increase northbound drug flow and southbound weapons trafficking at the US-Mexico border.' The reports said in its introduction: 'The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels (CJNG), together with their procurement, distribution, and financial support networks stretching across Latin America, China, and other key global nodes, remain the dominant threats for the trafficking of these and other drugs into the United States.' In his introduction to the 2025 DEA report, Acting Administrator Robert Murphy wrote that these groups are 'the primary groups oroducing the illicit synthetic drugs driving US drug poisoning deaths and trafficking these drugs into the United States.' He wrote: 'The cartels are not only fuelling the drug poisoning deaths in the United States, but also committing egregious acts of violence, threatening the security and stability of our partners across the Western Hemisphere.'
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mexican band's bizarre excuse after Trump banned them from US for honoring drug lords during concert
A member of Mexican band barred from performing in the US after blaring images of cartel leaders at a concert blamed the show's producers and claimed the group had protested the display beforehand. Los Alegres del Barranco singer Pavel Moreno said the band expressed their displeasure when pictures of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Ruben 'El Mencho' Oseguera and jailed Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Joaquín ' El Chapo ' Guzmán were flashed on the screen behind the stage during walk-through at the Telmex Auditorium in Zapopan, Jalisco hours before the March 29 concert. 'During the rehearsal, we said, "Hey, the images are a little too strong, aren't they?" Moreno recalled during an interview with Mexican journalist Luis Chaparro on the YouTube program 'Pie de Nota' on Sunday. 'We did tell him we didn't agree, but by the time we realized it, at the concert, it was all over.' Footage of the concert showed Los Alegres del Barranco getting ready to sing its hit narcocorrido, or drug ballad, 'El Del Palenque,' when multiple pictures of El Mencho displayed on the screen. They included mugshots, which were taken during El Mencho's arrests in California, followed by a sketch of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader. Images of the infamous drug lord El Chapo were also shown during the concert. Moreno stressed that the band never paid homage to any of the cartel honchos. 'What I can also emphasize is that it was not a tribute to anyone ever in my life,' he said. At least 10,000 people attended the concert at the Telmex Auditorium, which is owned by the University of Guadalajara, and located about 35 miles from where authorities discovered a death camp operated by El Mencho's criminal network. Moreno claimed that Los Alegres del Barranco, whose members are all natives of the neighboring state of Michoacán, were not aware of the proximity between the concert venue and the death camp. 'We're not from this state, we didn't know the news was so strong, the impact it had,' he said. 'Maybe we heard a little bit, but we weren't really in the loop. If they had told us, "Don't sing corridos," believe me, we wouldn't have sung.' The band's performance didn't sit well with the Trump administration. The US Department of Homeland Security revoked the work and tourist visas of its four members on April 1. The Jalisco State Attorney General's Office launched an investigation and charged Los Alegres del Barranco, their manager and the concert promoter with glorifying crime on May 12. They each were ordered to pay $10,000 and are required to present themselves in court once a week while the legal process plays out. 'No one has explained to us yet where the apology lies. The song doesn't encourage crime, it doesn't incite violence,' Moreno said. 'It's a narrative, like many others.' 'We respect the law, even though we disagree with the judge's ruling,' he added. 'But we have never committed a crime. We are musicians, not criminals.' Moreno argued that 'El Del Palenque,' which was released in 2021, was performed on many occasions and never drew any condemnation. 'No one has explained to us yet where the apology lies, he said. 'The song doesn't encourage crime, it doesn't incite violence. It's a narrative, like many others.' The group had been slated to perform five shows in Texas, California and Oklahoma and do three promotional appearances in April before the Trump administration announced its ban. El Mencho's Jalisco New Generation Cartel was among six cartels designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist in February 2025. It is considered the most powerful in the country, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment. The report indicated that the cartel has a presence in 24 of Mexico's 32 states and its capital, Mexico City, as well as every state in the US. The US government is currently offering a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of El Mencho, one of the 10 most-wanted men by the FBI list.
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Fears of new 'super cartel' as notorious violent gangs make terrifying alliance
Members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and 'Los Chapitos' faction of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel are said to have formed an alliance which could provde deadly Fears are growing over a new 'super cartel ' as two of the most violent gangs in Mexico are believed to have formed an alliance - Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the 'Los Chapitos' faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. A video spread on social media showing several armed men with two others appearing to have been captured by the drug cartels. There is no information as to the location the image was taken, however, those who took the video have claimed it shows an alleged alliance between CJNG and 'La Chapiza', a group of armed men who work for the Sinaloa Cartel faction. One of those in the video is heard saying: "The rumours are true, the alliance between the New Generation Cartel and La Chapiza is confirmed." In the video they also refer to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who is known as El Mencho, and to one of Joaquín Guzmán Loera's sons who have been identified as leaders of the notorious gangs. As the video draws to a close, the men fire their weapons into the air in celebration. The video appeared online shortly after the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) published its 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment, which included mention on a potential alliance between the notorious gangs. The report stated: "A strategic alliance between the CJNG and Los Chapitos has the potential to expand these groups' territories, resources, firepower, and access to corrupt officials, which could result in a significant shift in the criminal balance of power in Mexico and could serve to increase northbound drug flow and southbound weapons trafficking at the US-Mexico border." It is believed that working together, the two groups are hoping to strengthen their operations and to provide a stronger front against common rivals, particularly the faction led by Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada - a former top leader of the Sinaloa Cartel who was arrested in July 2024. The DEA report explained: "On July 25, 2026, the United States arrested Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada-Garcia, a co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán-López, a founding member of the Sinaloa Cartel's Los Chapitos faction, in New Mexico, just outside of El Paso, Texas. "This arrest brought into custody key cartel figures who eluded both US and Mexican law enforcement for years and are considered tow of the principal leaders responsible for the production, trafficking, and distribution of fentanyl throughout the United States. The arrest escalated tensions and infighting between the main two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel (Los Mayos and Los Chapitos), which continues today." Negotiations between CJNG and Los Chapitos are said to have began last year, as representatives met in Guadalajara and Nayarit. It has been reported that as part of the agreement to work together, Jesus Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, one of the Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's sons, would be handed over to the CJNG as a guarantee. The DEA report added: "According to Mexican news sources, CJNG could capitalise on the conflict between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, essentially by choosing sides in favour of their former rivals, Los Chapitos, against Los Mayos." The potential alliance between the notoriously violent gangs has also raised concerns in Mexico, with experts warning the cartel collaboration could intensify violence in key regions and complicate authorities' efforts to fight drug trafficking. The introductory summary to the DEA's 2025 report states: "Mexican cartels' production, trafficking, and distribution of powerful illicit synthetic drugs, chiefly fentanyl and methamphetamine, represent a dire threat to public health, the rule of law, and national security in the United States. "The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels (CJNG), together with their procurement, distribution, and financial support networks stretching across Latin America, China, and other key global nodes, remain the dominant threats for the trafficking of these and other drugs into the United States." The report added that in the 12 months to October 2024, 84,076 American died from a drug overdose according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "underscoring the devastating effect these cartels have on our country." The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, along wiht six other criminal organisations, have been designated as foreign terrorist organisations by the United States. In his introduction to the 2025 DEA report, Acting Administrator Robert Murphy wrote that these groups are "the primary groups oroducing the illicit synthetic drugs driving US drug poisoning deaths and trafficking these drugs into the United States." He wrote: "The cartels are not only fuelling the drug poisoning deaths in the United States, but also committing egregious acts of violence, threatening the security and stability of our partners across the Western Hemisphere."
