Peso Pluma under fire as resurfaced Instagram video and narcoviolence collide after El Mencho’s death
A resurfaced Instagram clip of peso pluma has reignited online controversy as Jalisco faces a wave of violence following the death of Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho. " The timing of the clip has sharpened debate over whether certain corridos and public messaging contribute to the normalization of organized-crime culture.
Development details
The video in question circulated after authorities confirmed the death of Nemesio Oseguera, leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a sequence of events that triggered more than 200 narcobloqueos across multiple states. The clip—an Instagram story that did appear on the artist’s profile—shows the performer saying he would publish explicit songs regardless of censorship. Visual cues in the story suggest it was posted at a different time than the operation that killed El Mencho, with observers noting that the singer’s profile photo and his hairstyle in the footage do not match his current appearance; analysts estimate the story may date to 2023.
The Instagram story also includes a text band that reads "Arriba la delincuencia organizada, " an element that appears to have been added after the fact. The artist has promoted a song titled "DINAMITA" in his Instagram stories and noted it ranked among the most listened tracks in February. Separately, earlier recordings in the singer’s catalog include a 2020 performance of "El 08, " a corrido that references figures linked to the CJNG, and other songs flagged by critics for using numeric codes and phrases associated with narco structures.
Peso Pluma and the security escalation
The public reaction coincided with a severe security response to the operation that killed El Mencho. During the pursuit, the fugitive and his circle fled into a forested area and collided with a military helicopter, forcing an emergency landing. Wounded individuals were taken to medical facilities in Jalisco, while El Mencho and his escorts died en route. The bodies were transported first to Morelia and later to Mexico City. The Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch, provided casualty figures: 25 members of the National Guard were killed, along with a prison custodian, an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office, and one civilian woman linked in the investigation to El Mencho’s partner, Guadalupe Moreno Carrillo.
The operational backlash by the CJNG included burning vehicles, attacks on military installations and widespread road blockades in Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán, Puebla and Tamaulipas. The magnitude of these actions has intensified scrutiny of cultural products that reference cartel life; critics have framed those works as part of a landscape that can romanticize violence and message loyalty to criminal organizations.
Immediate impact and public response
The resurfaced clip prompted a surge of criticism on social media platforms, where users directly accused the artist of contributing to the normalization of violence and called him "part of the problem. " Calls for boycotts and demands that public figures disavow ties to narco-culture appeared alongside defenses of artistic freedom. The singer has not issued an extensive public statement addressing these specific criticisms. Debates have also focused on identifiable lyrics: songs such as "Siempre Pendientes" are cited for using numeric codes and siglas that some listeners interpret as nods to cartel hierarchies.
What makes this notable is the convergence of a high-profile security operation that resulted in dozens of deaths and a viral piece of content that, even if posted earlier, has been reinterpreted in the present crisis. The juxtaposition of violent reprisals—more than 200 road blockades and deadly attacks on state forces—and cultural expressions tied to the same region has intensified calls from the public for clearer boundaries between entertainment and the real-world impact of organized crime.
Forward outlook
Officials and investigators continue to assess the operational fallout from the pursuit of El Mencho; the bodies were moved through a sequence of locations culminating in Mexico City, and the identity of individuals connected to the investigation remains a focal point. In parallel, the online debate around corridos and the singer’s repertoire is likely to remain active while the security situation unfolds. Confirmed future milestones include ongoing investigative work into the operation that led to El Mencho’s death and continued public scrutiny of performances and releases tied to the corrido tumbado genre. For now, the singer’s silence on the renewed criticism has left the controversy concentrated in social media reactions, streaming statistics for tracks like "DINAMITA, " and demands from critics that artists distance themselves from content perceived as glorifying organized crime.
