Gerardo Ortiz Pleads Guilty in Money Laundering Case and It’s Messier Than We Thought
Gerardo Ortiz, a regional Mexican singer, is in deep trouble for his connections with the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). The singer has been embroiled in a federal investigation after it was discovered that he was performing regularly for the cartel. The case has been growing against Ortiz and Del Records’ CEO Ángel Del Villar. Here is the latest on the trial and his connection to narcos.
Singer Gerardo Ortiz testified against Del Records’ CEO in a federal trial
Ortiz testified against Ángel Del Villar and pleaded guilty in a federal trial about his work with a music promoter with ties to narcos. The promoter, Jesús Pérez Alvear of Gallistica Diamente, was accused by the U.S. Department of Treasury in 2018 of belonging to a money laundering network. The FBI warned Ortiz of the connection and told the singer to avoid working with Pérez Alvear, but he did not listen.
“Gerardo Ortiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in transactions with a designated drug trafficker, one of the offenses charged against the defendants in this trial,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schwab told Rolling Stone.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Schwab also shared that Ortiz is fully cooperating with the investigation. According to reports, Ortiz hopes that his cooperation in the investigation is considered in his sentencing.
The Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act went into effect in 1999. The law prohibits people from the U.S. from working with criminal organizations that traffic in narcotics.
Ortiz ignored FBI warnings and continued to perform for the cartel
Prosecutors in the case brought forward 19 concerts Ortiz had for the CJNG following the FBI warning. According to reports, Del Villar convinced Ortiz to continue performing for the cartel and to ignore the warnings from the FBI. The complaint report states that Ortiz was warned on April 19, 2018, but performed for the cartel again on April 28, 2018.
Things get messier because Del Villar claims that Del Records vice president Brian Gutierrez is to blame. According to Rolling Stone, Del Villar claims that Gutierrez told him that everything that was happening was legal.
This isn’t the first time that Ortiz has gotten in trouble for his close connection to narcos
In 2016, Ortiz faced global backlash about his music video for “Fuiste mía.” The narcocorrido drew anger from people when the singer was portrayed tying up, torturing, and burning a woman alive. The imagery is a jarring reminder of the violence that women face. According to El País, seven women were violently murdered a day in Mexico during that time.
The backlash against the music video was so big that the Mexican government urged the media to ban the music video outright. The visual of the woman being locked in the trunk of a car and being burned alive is a terrible reminder of the violence women around the world face.
Ortiz’s career has also been one filled with controversy. The latest news of his connection to money laundering in Mexico is not super shocking. As the trial continues, more will be revealed.
