Three banners emblazoned with alleged threats against Mexican singer Peso Pluma were discovered in Tijuana early Tuesday, leaving fans wondering if his upcoming October show in the border city would be canceled.
One person was detained in connection with the incident, Tijuana Security Secretary Fernando Sánchez was reported as saying. The Baja California attorney general’s office opened an investigation.
Four banners appeared simultaneously in different parts of Tijuana this week warning the singer to cancel his planned concert on Oct. 14.
Peso Pluma, who performed at Tuesday’s MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey, has a show scheduled on Oct. 14 at Tijuana’s Estadio Caliente as part of his Doble P México tour.
All three banners had the same message, Sánchez said.
During the second of two sold-out shows at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, he showed his fans why he’s at the top of the charts.
The news site Punto Norte reported that the banners were signed with the initials of a drug cartel, warning the singer not to show up for his Oct. 14 show. If he did, the banner read, “it will be your last,” according to Punto Norte.
Montserrat Caballero, the mayor of Tijuana, said authorities will conduct an investigation to determine whether the concert should be canceled for the safety of the singer and attendees.
Meanwhile, a couple of Peso Pluma’s upcoming concerts have been postponed.
Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum on Tuesday posted on X that the Sept. 14 Peso Pluma concert there had been postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.” A Peso Pluma show Sept. 15 at the Rosemont Theatre in Illinois was also postponed.
In a night that featured performances from Karol G, Peso Pluma and Cardi B, Shakira was the biggest star at the 2023 MTV VMAs.
Further details of the postponements are unknown.
Born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, Peso Pluma’s path to global stardom began with the February 2022 release of his single “El Belicón” with MC Raúl Vega. The song went viral on TikTok and was eventually certified eight times platinum by the Recording Industry Assn. of America.
It was also lambasted by critics in Mexico, who argued the singer was promoting the narco lifestyle. (In the song’s video, Peso Pluma and Vega don bulletproof vests, wield machine guns and sing of gearing up for war with a rival gang.)
Lawmakers in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Baja California had implemented bans on radio play and performances by popular artists like Los Túcanes de Tijuana and Gerardo Ortiz over the content in their songs.
Reporter Suzy Exposito contributed to this report.
