A military operation by Mexican armed forces in the state of Jalisco on Sunday (Feb. 22) resulted in the death of Rubén Nemesio Oseguera, widely known as “El Mencho.” Regarded as the world's most wanted and dangerous drug lord, his demise unleashed a significant wave of violence across various regions of Mexico. Consequently, a red alert was issued and remained in effect in at least 10 states, following widespread reports of blockades and disturbances in cities across Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Colima, Aguascalientes, and Veracruz.

The immediate aftermath saw numerous concerts and music events canceled or rescheduled. Promoter Ocesa confirmed the cancellation of Kali Uchis's performance scheduled for Sunday at the Auditorio Telmex in Guadalajara, assuring ticket holders of refunds. Similarly, other concerts slated for Sunday were called off, including performances by Mi Banda el Mexicano in Zitácuaro and La Arrolladora Banda El Limón in Jacona, both situated in Michoacán. Additional cancellations affected Virlán García in Río Grande, Zacatecas; Saúl El Jaguar in Yautepec, Morelos; Banda Tierra Mojada in Puebla; and Pancho Barraza in Huaristemba, Nayarit.

Earlier, the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, had announced on social media the activation of a “red code” to safeguard residents, leading to the cancellation of all mass events across the state for Sunday in anticipation of reactions from criminal groups. Despite the widespread disruptions, certain major events proceeded as planned. The third day of the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) music festival, held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, reportedly drew over 100,000 attendees and concluded without incident. Kali Uchis’s concert scheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 25) at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City was also confirmed to still be taking place.

President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the nation during her Monday (Feb. 23) morning press conference, calling for calm. She stated that blockades had been cleared and