Mexican Band Loses US Visas After Honoring Drug Lord El Mencho at Concert
The US State Department has revoked visas for members of Los Alegres del Barranco after they were accused of glorifying a notorious cartel leader during a show in Mexico.
Members of the Mexican norteño band Los Alegres del Barranco have had their US visas revoked after a concert performance that featured imagery and music praising one of Mexico’s most feared drug lords, Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, known as El Mencho.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the decision, stating that the band projected an image of El Mencho during a recent performance in the city of Zapopan. The show included a song describing the cartel boss as “a man of war who loves his family” and praised his leadership of the “cartel with four letters” — a thinly veiled reference to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
El Mencho is the head of the CJNG, a powerful and violent drug trafficking organization designated a “foreign terrorist organisation” by the Trump administration. As part of its broader effort to combat transnational criminal groups, the US has vowed to eliminate their influence within its borders.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Landau emphasized the administration’s tough stance, stating: “In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners' access to our country.” He added, “The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.”
The band had been scheduled to perform at more than a dozen venues across US states including Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and California. Norteño music, particularly narcocorridos — songs that often idolize drug traffickers — has gained a strong following in the US, especially among Mexican-American communities.
The controversial performance in Zapopan has drawn criticism from both US and Mexican authorities. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the display during a press briefing, stating: “This shouldn’t happen, it’s not right,” and called for an official investigation into the incident.
Despite the backlash, the band’s lead singer appeared unbothered. In a video shared on TikTok, he responded to a fan by expressing his excitement that the president had mentioned them, saying “how cool” it was and thanking supporters.
Los Alegres del Barranco have previously performed other narcocorridos, including The 701, a song glorifying Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, the former head of the Sinaloa cartel. That song praised Guzmán as “the world’s most wanted man” and noted his wealth and popular support.
The Zapopan concert took place just weeks after relatives searching for missing persons discovered a ranch linked to the CJNG. Authorities have described the site as a “training and extermination camp,” with grim findings including ovens, bone fragments, and hundreds of personal belongings, suggesting that cartel recruits who resisted orders may have been killed there.
Critics argue that by praising figures like El Mencho, bands like Los Alegres del Barranco risk normalizing cartel violence and undermining efforts to combat organized crime. The visa revocation serves as a warning that such performances can carry real-world consequences — especially when they cross borders.
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