Trump Admin Drops THE HAMMER – Visas REVOKED!

The Trump administration is slamming the door on a Mexican band that thought it was cool to glorify a notorious drug kingpin, revoking their U.S. visas and sending a clear message that America won’t tolerate those who celebrate criminal cartels.

At a Glance

• The U.S. State Department revoked visas for Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco after they displayed images glorifying cartel leader “El Mencho” during a concert
• El Mencho leads the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration
• Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the visa revocation, stating “expression should not be free of consequences”
• The DEA is offering a $15 million reward for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest
• The band’s scheduled U.S. tour dates have been canceled following the controversy

No Time for Cartel Cheerleaders

In a refreshing display of common sense from our government, the Trump administration has revoked the visas of Mexican band members who thought it was perfectly acceptable to glorify one of Mexico’s most violent drug lords during a recent concert. Los Alegres del Barranco made the spectacularly bad decision to project images of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera-Cervantes – better known by his alias “El Mencho” – during their performance, praising him as a “man of war who loves his family” while cheering fans lapped it up.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who previously served as ambassador to Mexico, announced the visa revocation on social media with a refreshingly direct message. The State Department took swift action, preventing the band from proceeding with their planned U.S. tour including appearances at the Bésame Mucho festival in Austin, Texas. The message couldn’t be clearer: If you want to celebrate terrorists and drug traffickers, do it somewhere else – you’re not welcome here.

Not Just Another Gangster

Make no mistake – “El Mencho” isn’t some romantic outlaw figure. He’s the reputed leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), one of six Mexican cartels designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. This cartel has expanded its influence through extreme violence, corruption, and extortion to become a major international organized crime power. The CJNG is responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl-laced heroin into the United States, fueling the addiction crisis that’s destroying American communities.

According to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau: “A Mexican band, ‘Los Alegres del Barranco,’ portrayed images glorifying drug kingpin ‘El Mencho’— head of the grotesquely violent CJNG cartel — at a recent concert in Mexico. I’m pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members’ work and tourism visas. In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners’ access to our country. The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.” 

El Mencho himself has a criminal history including a prison sentence in the United States for selling heroin. His son wasn’t so lucky in escaping justice – Rubén Oseguera Gonzalez was recently sentenced to life in a U.S. prison for drug trafficking. Meanwhile, the DEA has offered a stunning $15 million reward for information leading to El Mencho’s arrest, demonstrating just how seriously our government takes the threat he poses.

Free Speech Has Consequences

Those inevitable cries about “censorship” and “artistic freedom” are already starting to surface from the usual corners of the left. But Landau’s response perfectly encapsulates the common-sense approach that distinguishes the Trump administration from its predecessors: freedom to speak doesn’t mean freedom from consequences. You can say what you want, but don’t expect America to roll out the welcome mat afterward.

“I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences”, concludes Christopher Landau.

The incident has even caused rare agreement between U.S. and Mexican officials. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called for an investigation into the concert incident, while Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus supports measures to prevent glorification of crime at concerts. Even the venue itself, Auditorio Telmex, distanced itself from the band’s choices, acknowledging that the images could be seen as glorifying crime. When you’ve managed to unite officials across borders in disgust, you might want to reconsider your artistic choices.

No Apologies from the Band

Rather than showing any remorse, band member Pavel Morales took to TikTok claiming most of their audience supports them and dismissing critics as “confused.” This arrogant response shows precisely why the visa revocation was appropriate. These aren’t naive artists who made a mistake – they knew exactly what they were doing in celebrating a cartel leader with American blood on his hands. The timing could hardly be worse, coming shortly after the discovery of a former cartel training camp near Guadalajara where torture and murder allegedly took place.

The Trump administration’s decisive action stands in stark contrast to the tepid border security policies of the past. By revoking these visas, our government has sent a clear message: America won’t provide a platform for those who glorify the very criminals fueling the border crisis, drug trade, and violence plaguing both our nations. It’s about time we started treating the celebration of cartel violence as the serious matter it is, rather than dismissing it as merely artistic expression.