Mexican singer cancels show in Texas citing visa revocation
Source: The Guardian
Sat 24 May 2025 16.26 EDT
Last modified on Sat 24 May 2025 17.12 EDT
A popular Mexican singer had to cancel a concert in Texas scheduled for Saturday after the Trump administration allegedly revoked his visa, preventing him from entering the country. The singer, Julión Álvarez, was supposed to perform for 50,000 fans at the Arlington, Texas, stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play but was informed that his visa had been revoked with no further information, according to a video statement he posted on Instagram.
“We don’t have the ability to come to the US and fulfill our commitment to you,” the singer said. “The event will be postponed, until we hear what comes next.” A state department spokesperson declined a request from CNN to comment on the visa status of Álvarez, who has been nominated for numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.
In April, the state department revoked the visas of members of another Mexican band, Los Alegres del Barranco, after they projected the image of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”, during a concert. El Mencho is the leader of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), which has been designated a terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, El Mencho’s son was sentenced to life in prison by a federal judge in Washington for helping run the cartel.
The alleged revocation of Álvarez’s visa comes eight years after the musician’s prior trouble with US authorities. The US treasury department sanctioned Álvarez in 2017 for allegedly working with a Mexican organized crime group allied with the CJNG, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled US tour. Álvarez has denied all allegations of ties to the cartels. In June 2022, the sanctions were removed and he was permitted to re-enter the US to perform. Now it appears he is in the US government’s crosshairs once again. Others in the Mexican music world have been targeted by US officials for alleged criminal ties.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/24/mexican-singer-cancels-show-in-texas-citing-visa-revocation
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