– U.S. Department Of Treasury
The U.S. Treasury Department has barred prominent Mexican concert promoter Jesus Perez Alvear from doing business in America for his alleged ties to a mexican drug cartel.
The department says Alvear, better known as Chacho Perez, used his connections to the music industry to launder money on behalf of the Jalisco drug cartel. He has been named as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker on the department’s Foreign Narcotics Kingpin list.
The designation freezes Alvear’s U.S assets and prohibits Americans from doing business with him.
“Treasury is targeting individuals who work on behalf of violent Mexican drug kingpins and support their opulent lifestyles by trafficking deadly drugs into the United States,” Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement. “Our designation of Jesus Perez Alvear exposes his role helping CJNG and Los Cuinis exploit the Mexican music industry to launder drug proceeds and glorify their criminal activities.”
Alvear promotes regional concerts throughout Mexico, with an emphasis on shows at large fairs, through his promotion company Gallistica Diamante (a.k.a. Ticket Premier). The department says Alvear uses violence to obtain concessions to operate the concerts.
He also represents artists in Mexico’s banda and norteno music scene with alleged ties to drug cartels, including singer Julion Alvarez, who the Treasury Department designated as a drug trafficker last year.
The singer has played several dates in the U.S. and in 2016 played gigs at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif, selling 7,655 tickets and grossing $835,167; the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, selling 5,831 tickets and grossing $518, 129; and at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., moving 7,112 tickets and grossing $674,560.
Those shows were promoted by Live Nation.