El Mencho: The Singers & Songs That Built a Cartel Legend

The U.S. State Department has revoked the visas of members of a Mexican band after they displayed images of alleged cartel leaders during a recent concert in Guadalajara, Mexico. The action comes amid growing scrutiny of the influence of narcoculture and its potential to glorify criminal organizations.

The band, whose name has not been officially released by the State Department but has been identified in reports as performing *corridos tumbados*, showcased photographs of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho,” and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán during the performance. Videos of the concert circulated widely on social media, prompting a swift response from U.S. Authorities. According to reporting from Rolling Stone, the visa revocation is a direct consequence of the display.

“El Mencho” leads the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug cartels. Guzmán, formerly the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, is currently serving a life sentence in a U.S. Federal prison. The display of their images is seen by U.S. Officials as a clear endorsement of their criminal activities.

The genre of music performed by the band, *corridos tumbados*, is a relatively new subgenre of *narcocorridos* – ballads that traditionally celebrate the lives and exploits of drug traffickers. Although not all *corridos tumbados* explicitly glorify cartel leaders, the genre often features themes of wealth, power, and violence, and has become increasingly popular among young audiences in Mexico and the United States. Artists like Los Alegres del Barranco have previously recorded songs directly referencing “El Mencho,” detailing territorial control and internal loyalty within the CJNG, according to reports in Latin Times.

Roberto Tapia, another artist within the genre, released a song titled “El Mencho” that focuses on a biographical narrative of the cartel leader’s rise, while Gerardo Ortiz’s song “El M” is widely interpreted as a reference to Oseguera Cervantes. Enigma Norteño has also been noted for using aliases associated with “El Mencho” in their lyrics. The Komander’s song “Estrategia de Escape” depicts armed structures and tactics that align with the CJNG’s operational style, and Calibre 50 has alluded to the cartel’s regional context in past songs.

The U.S. Government has long expressed concern about the influence of narcoculture and its potential to undermine efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime. The visa revocation is the latest in a series of actions taken by U.S. Authorities to crack down on individuals and entities associated with Mexican drug cartels. Billboard reported that the decision to cancel the visas signals a firm stance against the normalization of cartel figures within popular culture.

The State Department has not commented on whether additional actions will be taken against other artists or individuals involved in promoting narcoculture. As of February 23, 2026, the band has not publicly responded to the visa revocation.