Mexican music producer Angel del Villar, founder and CEO of Del Records, was sentenced on August 15, 2025 to four years in federal prison in the United States and ordered to pay a fine of US$2 million.
The sentence was issued by Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong in a Southern California court after he was found guilty of violating theKingpin Act by conducting business with CJNG-linked promoter Jesús “Chucho” Pérez Alvear.
The record label Del Entertainment -also known as Del Records- was also condemned.
He must serve three years probation and pay a $1.8 million fine for being an accomplice in a drug-related money laundering scheme.
Angel del Villar’s sentence
The ruling closes a case that dates back to the trial in March, where singer-songwriter Gerardo Ortiz played a crucial role as a witness. Ortiz recounted that he was tricked by Del Villar into performing at concerts organized by the targeted promoter and sanctioned by the U.S. government, despite an FBI warning about his ties to organized crime.
The Justice Department charged Del Records with organizing a series of concerts in Mexico in 2018 and 2019, despite knowing of Perez Alvear’s illicit status.
Although the prosecution requested a sentence of six and a half years and a fine of $300,000, the judge granted a significant reduction: four years in prison and a million-dollar fine.
Del Villar is due to report to prison on December 1, 2025, and his lawyers have requested that he serve his sentence in a Southern California prison.
Producer Angel del Villar was sentenced to four years in prison and fined US$2 million for violating US anti-drug laws, along with his record label, which will also face heavy penalties. This case closes an important chapter on the intersection between the Latin music industry and organized crime.
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