The Trump administration just sent a loud and clear message to anyone glorifying drug kingpins: You’re not welcome here.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced this week that the U.S. State Department has revoked the work and tourism visas of Los Alegres del Barranco, a Mexican band that thought it would be a good idea to project an image of one of the world’s most notorious narco-terrorists—El Mencho—during a live concert in Mexico.
El Mencho, for those who’ve forgotten, isn’t some misunderstood Robin Hood figure. He’s Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, the brutal leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—one of the most violent, ruthless drug cartels in existence. These are the monsters flooding our streets with fentanyl, slaughtering their own citizens, and destabilizing the U.S. southern border. They don’t deserve praise. They deserve prison cells—or worse.
In a post on X, Landau laid down the law.
“I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences,” Landau wrote. “I’m pleased to announce that the State Department has revoked the band members’ work and tourism visas.”
I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences. 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… pic.twitter.com/neSIib7EC4
— Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) April 2, 2025
Amen.
This wasn’t just a concert stunt. This was a political statement—one that directly undermines the Trump administration’s bold, hardline stance against transnational organized crime. CJNG was officially designated a foreign terrorist organization by President Trump just weeks ago, placing it in the same category as ISIS and al-Qaeda. And yet, here’s a band glamorizing its leader with glowing images in front of thousands.
That’s not freedom of expression—that’s glorified propaganda for bloodthirsty terrorists.
Landau didn’t stop there. He emphasized that the Trump White House takes U.S. sovereignty seriously—and that includes who gets to cross our border.
“In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners’ access to our country,” Landau continued. “The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.”
That’s what leadership looks like.
This all comes after widespread outrage in Mexico, where prosecutors in at least two states launched investigations into the band’s concert stunt. Even Mexico’s leftist President Claudia Sheinbaum—no friend of Trump—called it out in a press conference, saying, “This shouldn’t happen, it’s not right.” When a socialist president and the Trump administration agree on something, you know it’s serious.
Even more tone-deaf? The band’s lead singer reportedly celebrated the attention, appearing pleased that they were mentioned in the president’s morning briefing. That’s the mindset we’re dealing with—self-serving entertainers happy to flirt with infamy if it gets them headlines, even if it means cozying up to narco-killers.
Thankfully, they won’t be doing that from the comfort of U.S. venues any time soon.
Trump’s State Department isn’t just cracking down on lawlessness at home—they’re drawing a line in the sand internationally. If you want to bring your culture of drug glorification and cartel cheerleading to the United States, the answer is no. You don’t get to sing about “El Mencho the hero” and then stroll through JFK Airport with a smile. Not under this president.
Contrast this with the Biden years, where ICE was demoralized, the border was a revolving door, and gang culture found safe harbor in America’s sanctuary cities. Those days are gone. Under President Trump, there’s no room for narco-apologists or their enablers.
America is done bending over backwards for criminals—foreign or domestic.
