Peso Pluma Cancels October Tijuana Concert Following Threats by CJNG

 "Socalj" for Borderland Beat

On the day that Peso Pluma attended the MTV VMA Awards, CJNG threatened the singer.

On Sept. 10, two days prior to the narcomanta threats, Peso Pluma was the closing act of the two-day Festival Arre in Mexico City. During his performance of the corrido song "Siempre Pendientes," Pluma held out his microphone to a crowd of roughly 100,000 concertgoers who sang out the initials "J-G-L" in Spanish to reference Joaquín Guzmán Loera, "El Chapo." The lyrics are written from the perspective of a member of the Sinaloa Cartel as he sings, "I take care of the plaza of Señor Guzman."

"This is for you, Peso Pluma. Abstain from performing on Oct. 14 because it will be your last performance because you're disrespectful and [your] loose tongue. Show up and we will fuck you up," Att. CJNG.

The October 14, 2023 concert in Tijuana is no longer listed on Peso Pluma's Ticketmaster "Double P" tour page. His record label, Prajin Music Group announced today that the concert in Tijuana has been cancelled.

Peso Pluma has accomplished several firsts as a crossover regional Mexican artist.

Peso Pluma's Reaction

"Our objective is to protect the fans and the team," the statement, which was shared on Pluma's and the label's Instagram stories, read in Spanish. "For the security of everyone involved, we will be canceling our show in Tijuana. Many thanks to all of our fans for understanding. We love you."

The singer assured that he would continue his tour of the United States, “fulfilling my dreams, fulfilling records, and putting the Mexican flag high, as it should be. Just reminding people to continue loving me as they have always loved me, as they have always received me. This is a dream come true for me.”

Peso Pluma, born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, is one of Mexico's breakout stars and is widely known for blending traditional Mexican ballads with contemporary elements like hip-hop and trap music. His single "Ella Baila Sola" with Eslabon Armado helped him cross over to international audiences. The single hit the top spot on Billboard's Global 200 chart, making it the first Regional Mexican song to do so, and later was dubbed Spotify's most-streamed song globally of the summer.

Pluma’s songs “El Bélicon” and “Siempre Pendientes” are believed to be dedications to the Sinaloa cartel, referencing "El Chapo". While Pluma has not confirmed these assumptions, he has previously explained that often some cartel leaders pay musicians to write narcocorridos about them.

In July, Pluma announced his first stadium shows in Mexico, which included Tijuana on October 14, 2023. Currently, the next Mexico show listed takes place on October 27 in Zapopan, Jalisco.

Peso Pluma had previously been expected to appear at a concert at the Chevron Stadium in Tijuana in March, alongside the artists Eden Muñoz, Roberto Tapia and El Fantasma. But in late February, Tapia Entertainment, which was organizing the show, said tickets would be reimbursed “due to insecurity and threats towards other events.”

Several narco mantas threatening Peso Pluma were posted across Tijuana.

Narcomanta Arrests

Tijuana police have arrested a man allegedly responsible for hanging the narcomanta banners. The arrest of Gilberto Maya Gutiérrez, 43 years old, was made at 3:00AM on Wednesday by the Municipal Police who were carrying out surveillance tours in Colonia Libertad.

Edgar Mendoza, a state prosecutor in Baja, Calif., told the local press that one person had been detained on drug and terrorism charges after being found in the vicinity of one of the banners. “He was at the time and place. When he saw the authorities, he ran away. He was then arrested and found with narcotics in the bag. It was almost three in the morning,” explained José Fernando Sánchez González, head of the Municipal Security and Citizen Protection Secretariat.

The mayor of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero, who is living in military headquarters, initially said the banners would be investigated while concert security was ramped up.

Cancelled US Shows

On Tuesday, following the narcomanta threats against him, it was announced that his concerts for the rest of the week, starting with his show at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Thursday, September 14, had been notified by the venue that “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the show had been postponed.

A quick look at Ticketmaster listings shows that previously scheduled stops in Indiana, Alabama, Illinois, and Wisconsin have been "postponed" for undisclosed reasons. Additional dates were also postponed, including his Friday (September 15) and Saturday (September 16) concerts in Rosemont, Illinois, and Indianapolis, respectively.

His tour would then take him to Reno, Nevada, and multiple shows across California in the following weeks prior to the planned show in Tijuana, Mexico. A September 30 show at Cal Coast Open Air Theater in San Diego, California, was canceled and moved to another venue the Chula Vista Amphitheater.  

"The Event Organizer has had to postpone your event," a message on the ticket pages for the affected dates reads. "Please hold onto your tickets as they will be valid for the new date."

Sources Complex, Complex, Billboard, New York Times, USA Today, San Antonio Express, Ticket Master