Del Records CEO Ángel del Villar Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Cartel Ties

Latin music executive Ángel del Villar, founder of the prominent música mexicana label Del Records, has been sentenced to four years in prison following his conviction on felony charges of doing business with a known drug trafficker. In violation of the Kingpin Act, Del Villar was sentenced for violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, which bans United States residents from working with known drug traffickers.

Following his conviction in March, del Villar faced a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison but was sentenced to four years. He is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on Dec. 1 at a federal correctional facility. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $2 million.

Del Records was founded by del Villar in 2008 and had many fruitful chapters with their música mexicana acts, from Gerardo Ortiz, to their most recent, Eslabon Armado, whose global hit, “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma, was one of the biggest songs of 2023.

In June 2022, del Villar and Del Records were all charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act — a law that allows the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on foreign individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and ban U.S. residents from working with them.

Prosecutors alleged that del Villar repeatedly arranged concerts with Jesus Pérez Alvear, a promoter with ties to Mexican cartels who worked under his company Gallistica Diamante. Pérez Alvear was accused of aiding cartels in the ongoing exploitation of the regional Mexican music industry.

At the March trial, Ortiz took the stand to testify against del Villar, saying he had seen Pérez Alvear at the Del Records offices and had himself performed at one of the promoter’s concerts. After weeks of deliberation, del Villar was found guilty on 10 counts of violating the Kingpin law, as well as one conspiracy charge.

Representatives for Del Villar and Del Records did not immediately return Variety‘s requests for comment.