Mexican regional music singer Ernesto Barajas was shot and killed on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, in a parking lot in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara in Jalisco state, Mexico. The 38-year-old lead singer and founder of the popular band Enigma Norteño was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle around 1 p.m. local time.
According to the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office, Barajas was purchasing four vehicles that had been sent to him from Sinaloa when the attack occurred. Deputy Prosecutor Alfonso Gutiérrez Santillán explained during an August 21 press conference that while Barajas and two companions were completing the transaction, suspects arrived and opened fire.
Another man, identified as Chema Quintero, was killed instantly in the attack, and an 18-year-old woman who was accepting payment for the vehicles suffered a leg injury but is now in stable condition.
Barajas founded Enigma Norteño in 2004 alongside Humberto Pérez in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state, where both musicians were born. The band rose to prominence in the “narcocorrido” genre, a controversial subgenre of regional Mexican music that often glorifies drug cartels and their activities. The group has more than four million monthly listeners on Spotify and has released tracks dedicated to prominent cartel figures, including “El Chapo Guzmán,” which references infamous former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán.
The band’s repertoire includes songs about various cartel members, such as “Los Chapitos,” named after the sons of El Chapo, and tracks dedicated to Nemesio Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The U.S. government has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to El Mencho’s capture. Other popular songs by the group include “Los Lujos del R,” “Mayito Gordo,” and “El Deportivo,” a collaboration with Fuerza Regida.
Barajas had previously discussed the lucrative nature of his work, revealing in interviews that he charged substantial amounts for commissioned narcocorridos. In a 2022 interview with The Independent Español, he stated he charged $25,000 per narcocorrido song. By 2025, that figure had increased to $60,000, as he disclosed during a conversation with Univision. Barajas explained that many songs were created at the request of drug traffickers themselves, with intermediaries often handling the commissioning process.
The singer had been receiving death threats in recent years, particularly from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In July 2023, a threatening message appeared on a “narcomanta” (cloth banner) before a scheduled performance in Rosarito, Baja California, allegedly from the CJNG. The threat criticized his relationship with members of the Sinaloa Cartel and led to the cancellation of his show. These threats had prompted Barajas to move from his native Culiacán to Guadalajara about a year and a half before his death.
Enigma Norteño faced restrictions due to their controversial lyrics, with several Mexican states banning narcocorrido performances at public events. Authorities argued these songs promote violence and contribute to a culture of crime. The Trump administration has also taken action against artists in the genre, revoking visas of numerous performers and sanctioning musicians over allegations of money laundering for drug cartels. In May 2024, the band Grupo Firme had to cancel a California show after their visas were suspended.
During a May 2025 interview with Telemundo, Barajas defended his music against criticism. “In my opinion, a song, a corrido, has nothing to do with what is happening in Mexico,” he stated at the time. He described how the band had to adapt to restrictions, sometimes performing only instrumental music while audiences sang the lyrics themselves.
Beyond his musical career, Barajas hosted a podcast called “Puntos de Vista,” featuring guests from the regional Mexican music industry, including members of Grupo Firme, Gabito Ballesteros, and Fuerza Regida. His final podcast episode was published on his YouTube channel on August 13, just six days before his death. The band had recently released “Hello Kitty,” a collaboration with singer and producer Edgardo Nuñez, on August 15.
Barajas’ management company, Talento Líder, confirmed his death and posted a tribute on Instagram Stories. The company remembered him as both a great artist and human being. Barajas is survived by his wife, Alexis Sillas, and their two children.
The murder comes less than three months after five members of another regional Mexican group, Fugitivo, were killed in Tamaulipas state by suspected drug traffickers. Their bodies were found several days after families reported receiving ransom demands. The incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by performers in the narcocorrido genre, as musicians sometimes become caught up in cartel turf wars.
Barajas was buried in Guadalajara in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and fellow musicians. Members of Enigma Norteño performed songs during the funeral service, while attendees released balloons into the sky. The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office continues investigating the murder, with prosecutors focusing on theories related to the band’s narcocorrido repertoire.