Breathe
By Bibiana Belsasso
It came as a surprise when this weekend the musical group Los Alegres del Barranco at a concert in Zapopan, Jalisco projected videos of Nemesio Osegura, known as "El Mencho", leader of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation, to praise him and ask the audience to cheer for him.
This group has millions of followers.
On the huge screens installed on the stage and behind the musical group, an image of "El Mencho" as a young man appeared, followed by another showing the same leader of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) with some roosters and two large-caliber weapons flanking his face.
In videos posted on social networks, shouts and applause can be heard from some of the attendees, in a state of Jalisco that remains under controversy and outrage over the discovery of the forced recruitment camp at the Izaguirre ranch, where dozens of young men were allegedly taken by force and where several people were allegedly murdered at the hands of the CJNG.
The apology for crime is not exclusive to the musical group Los Alegres del Barranco, singers and so-called regional groups have mentioned Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes on several occasions in these three months of 2025.
This is not the first musical group to send greetings and thanks to a drug lord during a concert.
For example, two of the most influential exponents of the corrido tumbados movement, Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma, have broken off their collaborations for now. It is said that there is a conflict between them because they support different factions of the Sinaloa Cartel in their compositions. Both write songs that directly allude to drug traffickers and glorify them.
This happened last March, when Natanael Cano, who in the middle of a song made reference to the cartel leader, said: "Hasta donde se encuentra, padrino, y arriba Jalisco, arriba JGL (referring to Joaquín Guzmán Loera), arriba la maña, arriba "El Mencho", a la ver..., pa' que se conozcan" (Up to where you are, godfather, and up with Jalisco, up with JGL (referring to Joaquín Guzmán Loera), up with la maña, up with "El Mencho", let's see..., pa' que se conozcan".
While last February 28, in Autlan, Jalisco, at an event where there was a bull riding competition, the presenter said: "What do you think? here in my hand I have 50 thousand pesos and the Lord of the Roosters (also known as "El Mencho") gives it to you wholeheartedly".
And just this week, in the United States, Ángel del Villar, one of the most important representatives of ranchera music performers, was found guilty of organizing concerts to launder money for the CJNG.
He is accused of having links to a music agent linked to the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation and of laundering money for that criminal organization through shows.
Del Villar owns the label Del Records, which has produced countless artists of the so-called regional music and corridos tumbados, the same label that helped promote Peso Pluma, who today is considered the most recognized singer in the world in this field.
The trial against Ángel del Villar set a precedent, since never before had the U.S. justice system gone to such lengths against a figure in the music industry.
One of the witnesses was singer Gerardo Ortiz, who previously pleaded guilty to violating the Kingpin Act, under which the U.S. government applies sanctions to foreign individuals doing business in its territory who are suspected of being linked to organized crime.
Singer Gerardo Ortiz confessed in his trial that, in 2018, the FBI gave him a letter informing him of possible sanctions for appearing at concerts linked to the CJNG, it happened at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was told it would be a mistake to go to that year's Feria de San Marcos.
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