US Charges 2 Latin Music Company Executives With Violating Drug Trafficker Sanctions

Angel Del Villar and Luca Scalisi, two California music business executives, were charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced June 14. The two face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.

Del Villar, of Huntington Beach, is the CEO of Del Records and its talent agency wing Del Entertainment. Scalisi, of West Hollywood, is the agency's chief financial officer. The two were named in a criminal complaint in the district court along with Jesus Perez Alvear, a Mexican music promoter in charge of Gallistica Diamante, who promoted concerts for Del Entertainment until March 2019. Perez and Gallistica Diamante were sanctioned under the Kingpin Act, prohibiting people in the U.S. from conducting business with Perez and his company.

Per the complaint, in 2018, FBI agents told a "well-known musician" about Perez's designation under the Kingpin Act and the implications of this designation. Nevertheless, that individual performed a concert organized by Perez, and Del Villar's credit card was used to pay for the musician's private jet, DOJ said. The individual performed in Mexico an additional four times at concerts promoted by Perez. Perez is believed to be residing in Mexico.