Latest news with #Tijuana-based
UPI
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels U.S. appearance over visa processing
May 31 (UPI) -- A popular Mexican band named Grupo Firme was scheduled to play the La Onda Fest on Sunday, but it has canceled due to work visa-processing issues. The festival is being held in Napa Valley, Calif., but the Tijuana-based band said its work visas are in an "administrative process" that won't enable its members to participate in the festival, Billboard reported on Saturday. "The visas of Grupo Firme and the team of Music VIP are in an administrative process by the U.S. Embassy, a situation that makes it impossible for Grupo Firme to perform at La Onda Fest as planned," the musical group posted on social media. "We regret any inconvenience this may cause," the band said. "We appreciate your understanding and, above all, the love from our fans in the U.S." The band intends to perform again in the United States, but the visa-processing issue is stopping it from doing so at the moment. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Mexico told Billboard that visa records are confidential and staff cannot and will not discuss individual cases. The band is not the only Mexican musical act to encounter visa issues. Singer Julion Alvarez postponed a sold-out show scheduled May 24 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA Today reported. His band, Julion Alvarez y su Norteno Banda, sold nearly all of the 50,000 tickets for the concert. Alvarez, 42, learned his visa had been canceled, and it would be impossible to perform the next day. Promoter CMN and the Copar Music record company said they will reschedule the concert. Ticketholders have the option of getting a refund or using their tickets if the event is rescheduled.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels festival appearance because of US visa issue
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels festival appearance because of US visa issue The Tijuana-based regional music group is among a growing number of Mexican musicians who have had abrupt visa issues. Show Caption Hide Caption Spotted: Pedro Pascal in economy class on his way to Cannes Actor Pedro Pascal went viral for his comments on U.S. immigration at Cannes Film Festival. The Mexican band Grupo Firme canceled their headlining June 1 performance at a California music festival because the group said their visas were currently in an 'administrative process' to enter the country. The Tijuana-based regional Mexican music group is among a growing number of Mexican musicians who have had abrupt visa issues, sometimes for alleged ties to drug cartels, during the second Trump administration. It wasn't immediately clear what caused visa issues for Grupo Firme to enter the country for their June 1 performance at La Onda Fest, in Napa Valley. The band offered no further details aside from a May 30 post on Instagram Stories. The post said the United States Embassy currently had visas in an 'administrative process' for bandmates and their record label, Music VIP. This made it 'impossible' for them to attend the Mexican music festival. 'We are sorry for the inconvenience that this may cause,' the post said in Spanish. 'We appreciate your understanding and, above all, the love of our fans in the United States.' In an emailed response, the Department of State said visa records are confidential by law, so they couldn't comment on the case. Officials didn't respond to questions about the basis for the visa issue, or about the 'administrative process' the band described. The group said they would share news of their return to the United States when they can make new plans. Mexican singer Julión Álvarez said he had his visa revoked ahead of a sold-out May 24 show at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. In 2017, Álvarez had his visa revoked after being accused of ties to a drug trafficker, though he denied this. He was taken off a list in 2022, and he was in the country as recently as April to perform three sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the State Department revoked the visas for Los Alegres del Barranco, after the band displayed an image of Mexican drug lord Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho,' at a concert in Mexico in late March. The group had an American tour planned. On X, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed the department canceled Los Alegres' work and tourist visas for "glorifying" Oseguera Cervantes, who is head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In 2021, Grupo Firme won a Latin Grammy for best banda album. The group is known for songs such as "Ya Supérame" and "Cada Quién." But in February, the group canceled a festival performance in Mazatlán, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, after being threatened by a suspected drug cartel. The threat reportedly came in the form of a narcomanta – a banner used by drug cartels to communicate messages – displayed on a bridge, as well as a severed human head found nearby, addressed to Grupo Firme. Grupo Firme has sought to distance itself from music known as narcocorridos, or drug ballads, that have gained an international following, coinciding with a global rise in the popularity of regional Mexican music. States in Mexico have sought to ban the subgenre of corridos, or Mexican ballads. In April, Grupo Firme's lead singer, Eduin Caz, said the group doesn't perform narcocorridos. Their music, focused on love and heartbreak, 'has fed us very well,' he said at a press conference. La Onda Fest was set to take place May 31 to June 1, with Grupo Firme slated as the last act on the second day. The festival said Tito Double P, a corridos singer from Sinaloa, would replace Grupo Firme.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Alleged Tijuana-based cartel enforcer extradited to San Diego
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Edgar Perez Villa, a suspected member of the notorious Tijuana-based enforcement group Los Cabos, was extradited from Mexico to the United States on Thursday. He then appeared in federal court in San Diego on Friday, according to the Justice Department. Perez Villa, 35, is charged in connection with his alleged involvement in violent activities supporting heroin and methamphetamine trafficking for the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the most dangerous drug cartels operating internationally. Perez Villa, who also goes by the aliases Cabo 89 and Nier, was indicted alongside other cartel leaders, including Edgar Herrera Pardo (Caiman), Carlos Lorenzo Hinojosa Guerrero (Cabo 96), and Israel Alejandro Vazquez-Vazquez (Cabo 50), said DOJ officials. Man rescued after 30-foot fall into hole According to the superseding indictment, Perez Villa is accused of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of life. Court documents reveal that Perez Villa was allegedly a leader in Los Cabos, a violent cartel enforcer group operating in Baja California to help secure CJNG's control over the region. Los Cabos allegedly used brutal tactics to maintain CJNG's grip on the trafficking of drugs through Tijuana and into the United States. Investigators uncovered plans for over 150 murders, most of which were carried out in Tijuana, orchestrated by Los Cabos to maintain their cartel's influence. CJNG is known for trafficking large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced heroin into the United States. The cartel is also a significant producer of methamphetamine, using precursor chemicals sourced from China and India, according to the DOJ. Its widespread influence and violent tactics have made it a top priority for law enforcement agencies working to combat the opioid crisis and drug violence. Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden for the Southern District of California emphasized the importance of continuing the fight against drug-related violence, stating, 'For far too long, violent cartels have inflicted untold suffering through violence and drug addiction. Our fight against this reign of terror will not waver.' Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) San Diego, called the extradition a major step forward in the battle against the fentanyl epidemic, adding, 'The extradition of this prolific trafficker underscores our unwavering commitment to holding accountable those responsible for the large amounts of drugs that devastate our communities.' Brian Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Diego Field Division, also underscored the significance of the case, noting that Los Cabos' violence and drug trafficking activities had caused lasting damage to the community. 'One by one, the DEA will hold these criminals accountable and bring them to justice,' he stated. The investigation into Perez Villa's actions was led by the DEA and HSI, with support from the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs (OIA). The OIA worked with Mexican law enforcement to secure Perez Villa's arrest and extradition. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
