El Makabelico, under Trump’s U.S. Treasury Department approved the money to shuffle the drug cartels in a rap career and streaming sales royalties.
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Mexican rapper “Narco rapper” El Makabelico was attacked by sanctions from the Donald Trump administration as U.S. officials accused him of bringing music royalties to a violent drug cartel operating on the U.S.-Mexican border.
The U.S. Treasury Department announced that El Makabelico allegedly used his hip-hop career to launder money for Cartel del Noreste, a criminal group that evolved from the now-extinct Zetas Cartel.
These sanctions freeze his assets in the United States and prohibit U.S. companies or individuals from doing business with him.
According to the Ministry of Finance, El Makabelico directs “about 50% of music royalties”, from streaming platforms to the cartel’s financial network.
“El Makabelico uses his music career to support and promote violence in Cartel del Noreste,” the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
The department also warns that foreign banks or entities that continue to work with El Makabelico or Cartel may face secondary sanctions.
Cartel del Noreste, designated by the Donald Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organization, has increasingly turned to non-traditional sources of income, such as concerts and merchandise, to clean up illegal funds.
El Makabelico music, including Narco-Corridos, often glorifies the life and street violence of the cartels.
He performed masking and built an online audience of millions of followers on Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube.
His “El Sobrino” video received over 148 million views on YouTube just before it was deleted just a few hours ago (August 6).
