Del Records CEO Found Guilty of Violating Kingpin Act for Cartel Ties

José Ángel Del Villar and Del Entertainment face serious penalties for knowingly working with a cartel-linked promoter, with sentencing set for August 2025.

• José Ángel Del Villar, CEO of Del Records, was convicted of violating the Kingpin Act by conducting business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels.
• Del Villar faces up to 30 years in federal prison per count, while Del Entertainment could face probation and fines of up to $10 million per count.
• The U.S. Treasury Department designated Pérez as a narcotics trafficker in 2018 for laundering money for the CJNG and Los Cuinis cartels, but Del Villar continued to work with him until 2019.
• Former Del Records artist Gerardo Ortiz, who pleaded guilty to related charges, testified against Del Villar during the trial, shedding light on the music industry’s ties to cartels.
• Del Villar's legal team plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that the complexity of the case led to a misunderstanding of the facts.

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U.S. Department of Justice Rolling Stone Orange County Register Los Angeles Times