A popular Mexican band that had its visa revoked by the administration of President Donald Trump is now under investigation for allegedly benefiting from illicit activities.
Los Alegres del Barranco came under fire following its performance at a concert in March where the images Mexico’s most notorious drug lords were displayed.
The Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office announced that as part of its probe, it had seized 5.878 million pesos [around $306,000 USD] that the band earned from the controversial show’s ticket sales.
Deputy Attorney General Alfonso Gutiérrez said during a press conference Wednesday that investigators are looking into whether the money that the band made was misused.
Any person who is found guilty of benefiting from an illicit activity can be punished with a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years, according to Article 310 of the Jalisco State Penal Code.
‘We believe this musical group is actually profiting by engaging in an illicit activity such as condoning crime, and that they are already convicted of that crime,’ Gutiérrez said.
‘Therefore, the proceeds they obtained from these conducts will likely be of illicit origin, and therefore a thorough investigation will be necessary to proceed against these individuals.’
Los Alegres del Barranco headlined a Mexican music concert at Telmex Auditorium in the Jalisco municipality of Zapopan on March 29.
Social media video clips of the concert showed Los Alegres del Barranco getting ready to sing its hit narcocorrido, or drug ballad, ‘El dueño del palenque,’ when multiple pictures of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Ruben ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera were displayed on the screen.
They included mugshots, which were taken during El Mencho’s arrests in California, followed by a sketch of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader.
Images of the infamous drug lord Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán were also shown during the concert.
The band’s performance didn’t sit well with the Trump administration.
The US Department of Homeland Security revoked the work and tourist visas of its four members on April 1.
The Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office then launched an investigation and charged Los Alegres del Barranco, their manager and the concert promoter with glorifying crime on May 12.
They were each ordered to pay $10,000 and are required to present themselves in court once a week while the legal process plays out.
Los Alegres del Barranco lead singer Pavel Moreno sat down with Mexican journalist Luis Chaparro on the YouTube program ‘Pie de Nota’ on May 18 and recalled that the group noticed that the cartel leaders’ images were flashed during a walk-through hours before the show and that they expressed their displeasure.
‘During the rehearsal, we said, ‘Hey, the images are a little too strong, aren’t they?’ Moreno said. ‘We did tell him we didn’t agree, but by the time we realized it, at the concert, it was all over.’
The group had been slated to perform five shows in Texas, California and Oklahoma and do three promotional appearances in April before the Trump administration announced its ban.
DailyMail.com reached out to Los Alegres del Barranco for comment.