Latest news with #Oseguera
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican band changes its tune after cartel leader's face shown at concert
A popular Mexican band under investigation for glorifying a wanted drug lord has released an anti-narco song in a bid to clear its name. The band, Los Alegres del Barranco, is accused of condoning crime over a song praising Nemesio Oseguera, head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in western Mexico. In April, the United States, which has designated the cartel as a terrorist organization, revoked the band's visas for displaying images of Oseguera during a concert and last month prosecutors in Jalisco state opened an investigation into the group. Oseguera — better known as "El Mencho" — has a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head. In a bid to curry favor with the authorities, the band released a new song on YouTube on Sunday titled "El Consejo" (The Advice). Its lyrics warn that there are only two avenues open to those who become involved in drug trafficking: "the pantheon (of dead traffickers) or prison." The Jalisco prosecutor's office reacted positively to the new track, which had garnered nearly 80,000 views on Monday, saying that "by spreading a positive message in a song, there is a possibility that the investigation will be suspended." However, the band remains under investigation for suspected illicit funding, prosecutors said. The Jalisco cartel, one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel following the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel leader Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal by the military. Several Mexican states have cracked down on "narcocorridos," a controversial subgenre of regional Mexican folk music that includes shout outs to drug traffickers. Earlier this month, the popular Los Tucanes de Tijuana band was fined more than $36,000 for performing songs glorifying drug cartels in the northern city of Chihuahua. Performers of drug ballads have themselves also been targets of gang violence. In late May, five members of the group Fugitivo were found dead in Tamaulipas state, days after being hired to perform a concert. Their deaths were blamed on suspected drug traffickers. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum launched a music competition in April "for peace and against addictions" in an attempt to counter the popularity of "narcocorridos." Contestants are from both Mexico and the United States. The second phase of the competition is set to start July 5 after a panel of judges selects the participants who will advance. The finale is set for Oct. 5 in Durango, Mexico. New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander detained by ICE Trump says U.S. knows where Iran's supreme leader is, but won't kill him "for now" Sen. Alex Padilla breaks down in tears on Senate floor recounting Noem news conference removal
France 24
a day ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Mexican band accused of glorifying cartels changes its tune
The band, Los Alegres del Barranco, is accused of condoning crime over a song praising Nemesio Oseguera, head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in western Mexico. In April, the United States, which has designated the cartel as a terrorist organization, revoked the band's visas for displaying images of Oseguera during a concert and last month prosecutors in Jalisco state opened a probe into the group. In a bid to curry favor with the authorities, the band released a new song on YouTube on Sunday titled "El Consejo" (The Advice). Its lyrics warn that there are only two avenues open to those who become involved in drug trafficking: "the pantheon (of dead traffickers) or prison." The Jalisco prosecutor's office reacted positively to the new track, which had garnered nearly 80,000 views on Monday, saying that "by spreading a positive message in a song, there is a possibility that the investigation will be suspended." However, the band remains under investigation for suspected illicit funding, prosecutors said. Several Mexican states have cracked down on "narcocorridos," a controversial subgenre of regional Mexican folk music that includes shout outs to drug traffickers. Earlier this month, the popular Los Tucanes de Tijuana band was fined more than $36,000 for performing songs glorifying drug cartels in the northern city of Chihuahua. Performers of drug ballads have themselves also been targets of gang violence. In late May, five members of the group Fugitivo were found dead in Tamaulipas state, days after being hired to perform a concert.
CBS News
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Ban on music glorifying cartels sparks chaos at concert in Mexico: "Violent attack on our artist, band and crew"
A Mexican artist was forced to flee a concert stage on Saturday after enraging fans by saying he had been banned by the government from singing popular songs glorifying drug traffickers. "Narcocorridos" are a controversial sub-genre of music in Mexico, which celebrates the exploits of the country's infamous drug cartels . The songs have caught the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum , who in recent days launched a music contest "for peace and against addictions," seeking to counter the popularity of narcocorridos among young people in Mexico and the United States. Chaos erupted early Saturday in the city of Texcoco, 15 miles outside Mexico City, when Luis R. Conriquez told the crowd that he could not sing his popular songs praising leaders of the Sinaloa cartel. Media reports and online videos show the singer explaining to the audience that the government had banned him from singing the songs. "It's a law that must be respected... I also feel bad for not singing what you want to hear," Conriquez said in the videos. Booing soon escalated into objects and beer being thrown at the singer and his band, who were forced to flee the stage. Later, nearly 20 people stormed the stage, destroying musical instruments and sound equipment. Conriquez's manager, Freddy Perez, said in a post on Instagram that the artist obeyed the government's order "not to sing corridos." The situation "led to a violent attack on our artist, band and crew... People reacted very badly, destroying instruments and audio equipment," he added. The state government confirmed the incident in a statement, saying there were no injuries. It urged against "condoning violence, referring to figures linked to criminal acts or drug use" at public events. Narcocorridos are banned at public events in states including Nayarit, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Quintana Roo. The genre has flourished on digital platforms, its popularity boosted by the rags-to-riches stories in the songs. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department revoked the visas of members of a Mexican band after they projected the face of a drug cartel boss onto a large screen during a performance in the western state of Jalisco. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, said late Tuesday on social media that the work and tourism visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco were revoked. The controversy broke out over the weekend when the face of Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes layered over flames was projected behind the band, originally hailing from Sinaloa, during the concert. Oseguera is the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which has been connected to a ranch authorities say was used to train cartel recruits and possibly dispose of bodies in Jalisco, where searchers found human bone fragments, heaps of clothing and shoes. The U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Oseguera's capture. In November, his son-in-law was arrested in California after U.S. officials say he faked his own death to "live a life of luxury" north of the border. The Jalisco cartel is among other criminal groups in Mexico that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. While the image was met by applause during the concert, Jalisco prosecutors quickly announced they were summoning the band to testify in an investigation into whether they were promoting violence, a crime which could result in a penalty of up to six months in prison. In December, videos posted on social media from a town in the western state of Michoacan, showed a sign at a Christmas fair thanking the Jalisco cartel's leader for the gifts. "The children of Coalcoman thank Mr. Nemesio Oseguera and his sons, 2, 3, and Delta 1, for their noble gesture. Thank for your gifts," the sign read. Sheinbaum said at the time that local officials were being investigated for any possible links to the sign. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CBS News
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
U.S. revokes visas of band members after wanted Mexican cartel leader's face is projected onto screen at concert
The U.S. State Department revoked the visas of members of a Mexican band after they projected the face of a drug cartel boss onto a large screen during a performance in the western state of Jalisco over the weekend. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, said late Tuesday on social media that the work and tourism visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco were revoked. The visa revocations follow widespread outrage in Mexico over the concert as prosecutors in two states have launched investigations into the projected images, and a larger national reckoning over how to address the rise of a popular musical genre criticized for romanticizing drug cartels. "I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences," Landau wrote on X. "The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists." The controversy broke out over the weekend when the face of Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes layered over flames was projected behind the band, originally hailing from Sinaloa, during the concert. Finger pointing ensued among the band, concert producers and the venue. Oseguera is the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which has been connected to a ranch authorities say was used to train cartel recruits and possibly dispose of bodies in Jalisco, where searchers found human bone fragments, heaps of clothing and shoes. The U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Oseguera's capture. In November, his son-in-law was arrested in California after U.S. officials say he faked his own death to "live a life of luxury" north of the border. The Jalisco cartel is among other criminal groups in Mexico that have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. While the image was met by applause during the concert, Jalisco prosecutors quickly announced they were summoning the band to testify in an investigation into whether they were promoting violence, a crime which could result in a penalty of up to six months in prison. The state of Michoacan also announced an investigation into the Los Alegres del Barranco for projecting the same images during a concert in the city of Uruapan. Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus said that the state would ban musical performances that glorify violence, adding that violators would "face monetary and criminal sanctions." "We know that outrage is not enough," Lemus said. "Of course it's possible to ban (the music)." Since, a number of the band's future shows have been cancelled, one town's government saying that the show "didn't have the municipal permissions needed" to carry out the performance. Pavel Moreno, the band's accordion player and back-up singer, didn't respond to questions by fans asking if his visa had been revoked, simply thanking them for support and saying that "everything is fine." The band was scheduled to play in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 4. While the event hasn't been publicly cancelled, ticket sales websites read: "No tickets available for now on our site" for that date. The dispute coincides with a larger cultural debate in Mexico as artists like Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Natanael Cano usher in a global renaissance of Mexican regional music, by mixing classic ballads with trap music. In 2023, Peso Pluma beat Taylor Swift out as the most streamed artist on YouTube. Many of the artists now topping the charts have come under fierce criticism because their lyrics often paint cartel leaders as Robin Hood-esque figures. Others say that the genre, known as "narco corridos," expresses the harsh realities of many youths across Mexico. A number of Mexican states have banned public performances of the music in recent years, the most recent being the state of Nayarit in February. Some of the bans have come as famed artists have received death threats from cartels, forcing a number of them to cancel their performances. Others, including Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, have sought a less aggressive approach to addressing the genre. Sheinbaum, who has come out against censoring the music, has suggested instead that the Mexican government push forward initiatives that promote Mexican regional music with more socially acceptable lyrics. The Mexican leader did harden her language on the topic following the Los Alegres del Barranco concert. In her morning news briefing this week, Sheinbaum demanded an investigation into the concert, saying: "You can't justify violence or criminal groups." In December, videos posted on social media from a town in the western state of Michoacan, showed a sign at a Christmas fair thanking the Jalisco cartel's leader for the gifts. "The children of Coalcoman thank Mr. Nemesio Oseguera and his sons, 2, 3, and Delta 1, for their noble gesture. Thank for your gifts," the sign read. Sheinbaum said at the time that local officials were being investigated for any possible links to the sign.
CBS News
01-04-2025
- CBS News
Grim details of infamous Jalisco cartel's operations revealed during investigation of recruitment ranch in Mexico
The renewed investigation of a ranch in western Mexico, where authorities say the Jalisco New Generation Cartel trained recruits, has revealed some details about how one of the country's most powerful drug cartels operates. Human remains and clothing were recently discovered at the ranch. The cartel, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says has some 19,000 in its ranks, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel following the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel capo Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal by the military. The Jalisco cartel is led by Nemesio Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes , for whom the U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his capture. Oseguera drew renewed attention this week after his image was projected as a band played at a music festival in Jalisco over the weekend. Just weeks ago, his wife, Rosalinda Gonzalez, was released from prison in Mexico after receiving a five-year sentence following her arrest in 2021 for the illicit financial operation of an organized criminal group. Her release came on the same day that 29 drug traffickers being held in Mexican prisons were sent to the United States . The Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels have battled for control of various parts of Mexico, including Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. Both are among six Mexican organized crime groups recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. government. One of authorities' recent advances against Jalisco was the arrest of José Gregorio Lastra, allegedly in charge of the cartel's recruitment. The Jalisco cartel employs three recruiting methods: there are volunteers drawn by the pay and imagined lifestyle, which experts say make up the bulk of their number; there's targeted recruitment of ex-military and police forces, who because of their professional training enter the cartel as trainers and leaders of squads of gunmen. Finally, there's the kind of forced recruitment that investigators say happened at the Jalisco ranch. For that last category, authorities say the cartel uses social platforms — they've identified at least 60 pages — to offer fake job opportunities, especially as security guards, with weekly salaries of $600, well above the average for such positions. Once they have the applicants, they force them to join the cartel. One recruit who reportedly survived the ranch has said that the cartel picked up recruits at bus stations under false pretenses and took them to the ranch where they were trained for a month in the use of weapons in addition to fitness training, Mexico's Public Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said. Those who refused or tried to escape were beaten, tortured and killed. Security analyst David Saucedo said Jalisco's structure is vertical, with Oseguera at the top. Last weekend, pictures of Oseguera were projected as a band started playing at a regional music festival in Jalisco. Some in the crowd cheered, and on Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum, as well as Jalisco's governor, condemned the act. The Jalisco State Prosecutor's Office said it was opening an investigation. Such displays of respect for cartel leaders are not uncommon. In December, Mexican prosecutors launched an investigation after videos posted on social media from a town in the western state of Michoacan showed a sign at a Christmas fair thanking "El Mencho" for giving holiday gifts to children. Below Oseguera are regional commands, as well as areas responsible for drug production and sales, Saucedo said. The DEA says the cartel has a presence in 21 of Mexico's 32 states, exceeding the Sinaloa cartel's 19. Some analysts believe Jalisco is actually in as many as 25 states, including its home base in the state of the same name. It also maintains a presence in some 100 countries, according to the DEA. In less than two decades, Jalisco became one of Mexico's most powerful criminal organizations and even managed to take control of some traditional strongholds of the Sinaloa cartel. Sinaloa has been weakened more recently by infighting among its factions following arrests of key leaders, including Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán , who is serving a life sentence in the U.S., and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada , who was arrested last July along with one of Guzmán's sons and is awaiting trial in the U.S. Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology researcher Carlos Flores said Jalisco's "capacity for violent action" and style of "irregular warfare" aided its speedy rise, which coincided with the emergence of fentanyl as a highly profitable revenue stream. Saucedo says that Jalisco has also successfully allied itself with other criminal groups, allowing it to penetrate some territories with a sort of "franchise" model as in the central state of Aguascalientes and the key border city of Tijuana. The case of the ranch also serves as an example of how the Jalisco cartel is able to operate with impunity in territory it controls thanks to the complicity of local authorities, Flores said. Despite being discovered in September 2024 and 10 people being arrested, the ranch's investigation stalled until family members searching for their relatives went there themselves in March and raised the alarm about hundreds of clothing items they found , as well as apparent charred bone fragments. Since then, authorities have detained three local police officers who were allegedly tied to disappearances at the ranch. Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, whose office took over the investigation of the ranch, said that investigators in Jalisco failed to register evidence and fingerprints and process vehicles found at the ranch, three of which were later stolen. "There are signs that show publicly how those kinds of deals have allowed the Jalisco cartel to establish itself in certain states, while they go about eliminating their rivals, sometimes with the help of public safety forces," Flores said.
