Major Blow to Regional Mexican Music Scene: Ángel Del Villar Found Guilty of Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Promoter in Landmark Federal Case

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Ángel Del Villar, the influential founder and CEO of Del Records, was found guilty in a federal court in Los Angeles after a two-week trial that exposed the murky intersections between the regional Mexican music industry and organized crime.

Música regional mexicana stars Gerardo Ortiz and Eslabón Armado were some of the artist launched by Del Villar and his companies.

Del Villar and his entertainment company, Del Entertainment, were convicted of conspiring to engage in financial transactions with a specially designated narcotics trafficker—violating the U.S. Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, commonly known as the Kingpin Act.

The Department of Justice in LA confirmed that Del Villar faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for August 15. Despite the serious charges, Del Villar remains free on a $100,000 bond until his sentencing. He is facing up to 30 years in a federal prison.

The case centers on a series of concerts organized between 2018 and 2019, during which Del Villar's company allegedly worked with Jesús "Chucho" Pérez Alvear, a concert promoter from Guadalajara who had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for laundering money for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and its financial wing, Los Cuinis.

Gerardo Ortiz Testifies Against Del Villar

A pivotal moment in the trial came when Gerardo Ortiz, a chart-topping regional Mexican singer and former Del Records artist, took the stand. Ortiz testified that Del Villar misled him into performing at events organized by Pérez Alvear—most notably the 2018 Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes—even after the promoter had been blacklisted by the U.S. government under the Kingpin Act.

Ortiz had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to the same case. According to the Department of Justice, Ortiz's cooperation was voluntary, and his legal team emphasized that he had not admitted to working directly with drug cartels, but rather to unknowingly doing business with a promoter later found to be connected to them.

Ortiz told the jury that he saw Pérez Alvear at Del Records' Los Angeles office multiple times, where the promoter was reportedly recruiting bands for shows in Mexico. His testimony painted a picture of a business relationship deeply intertwined with criminal elements.

A Timeline of Trouble

Del Villar's legal troubles began in May 2020 when the FBI executed a search warrant at Del Records' headquarters in Bell Gardens, California. At the time, the label stated it believed the investigation was focused on Ortiz, not Del Villar or the company. However, in June 2022, Del Villar was arrested along with Luca Scalisi, the CFO of Del Entertainment. Both men were charged with conspiring to conduct business with Pérez Alvear despite his designation as a narcotrafficker.

According to court records, Del Villar continued to arrange performances with Pérez even after 2018, when the promoter was formally sanctioned by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Federal prosecutors alleged that Del Villar and his company funneled at least 3.5 million pesos (around $175,000 USD) into concerts promoted by Pérez in Aguascalientes, Baja California, Guanajuato, and a canceled show in Chiapas.

The promoter, Pérez Alvear, was shot and killed in Mexico in 2024, just months before the start of Del Villar's trial.

Del Villar's defense team, led by attorney Marissa Goldberg, argued that their client was the victim of manipulation by a former Del Records employee, Brian Gutiérrez. According to the defense, Gutiérrez misrepresented the legality of the company's business operations and reassured Del Villar that their dealings were within legal bounds.

"There's something deeply flawed and unfair about how this case was created and investigated," Goldberg said during her opening statement. "The people who truly orchestrated these transactions are not the ones sitting here on trial."

Nonetheless, the jury found that Del Villar and his company acted with knowledge of Pérez Alvear's Kingpin designation and violated federal law by continuing to work with him.

Legal Fallout and Industry Impact

Del Villar's conviction is a watershed moment for the regional Mexican music industry, which has long faced scrutiny over its ties to narcoculture. Del Records, founded in 2008, played a major role in popularizing narcocorridos—ballads that often narrate the exploits of drug lords—and launched the careers of artists like Ortiz and Luis Coronel.

Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma's mega hit 'Ella Baila Sola' was released under Del Records. In November of 2023, the song became the first song of regional mexicano to top the Billboard 200 chart.

The outcome of the trial could reverberate across the Latin music business, where the influence of organized crime in concert promotion has been an open secret. Legal experts suggest the case may set a precedent for how entertainment companies and artists interact with promoters, particularly in countries where drug cartels wield economic power.

As Del Villar awaits sentencing, the future of Del Records remains uncertain. Family members and employees were seen in tears outside the courtroom after the verdict, though Del Villar appeared composed.

"If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be either," he told a supporter after the verdict was read. "I've waited five years for this. I'm at peace."

Whether his composure will hold in the face of a possible 30-year sentence remains to be seen. For now, the regional Mexican music world is left grappling with the fallout of one of its most high-profile legal scandals to date.