Peso Pluma Faces Death Threat, Tijuana Police Arrest Suspect
Fast-rising Mexican singer Peso Pluma received death threats in Tijuana this week, as three “narcomantas” — threatening banners placed by narco organizations — were discovered across the city.
On Thursday, a man allegedly responsible for placing the banners — supposedly on behalf of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación — was arrested in Tijuana, according to the regional prosecutor of Baja California.
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“This is for you, Peso Pluma. Don’t show up on Oct. 14 because it will be your last performance,” read the banners, allegedly signed by the cartel. “You are disrespectful and loose-tongued, If you show up we are going to beat the fuck out of you.”
Peso Pluma has yet to comment, and a rep for the singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Edgar Mendoza Razo, the regional prosecutor in Tijuana, told local news organizations that the man was detained in Colonia Libertad, one of the locations where the banners were found.
According to Newsweek Español, the suspect was charged with terrorism and for carrying an illegal substance. The charge is “due to the terror that was caused on the community, not for what was written in the message,” Mendoza Razo said.
Earlier this week, Tijuana mayor Monserrat Caballero Ramírez said there would be the same if not “a bit more” security at concerts in the city in the next couple of days, and that they would later decide “whether the [Peso Pluma] concert goes ahead or not.”
Peso Pluma is quickly becoming one of the biggest artists in the world as a corridos singer, and some of his songs refer to the narco lifestyle — with references to Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, drugs and weaponry. Caballero Ramírez told the media on Wednesday that the lyrics draw criminal attention.
“Singers like Peso Pluma glorify crime, so there are certain groups that get upset, and unfortunately those who suffer the consequences are the citizens who want to attend their concerts and are then put at risk,” she said.
In stark contrast to the news in Mexico, Peso Pluma appeared at the 2023 MTV VMAs Tuesday, where he was nominated for Best New Artist, and performed his song “Lady Gaga.” He made history by becoming the first música Mexicana singer to perform at the awards show.
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