- Title: Mexico folk singer denies US accusations of cartel ties
- Date: 11th August 2017
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (AUGUST 10, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MEXICAN FOLK SINGER JULION ALVAREZ ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER AT NEWS CONFERENCE ALVAREZ STANDING AT NEWS CONFERENCE FOR PHOTOS GENERAL VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE ALVAREZ WAVING FOR MEDIA PHOTOS MEDIA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FOLK SINGER, JULION ALVAREZ, SAYING: "The only objective from this news conference that we are giving, and what I shared yesterday on my social media, is to face (the accusations), to not hide from anyone. I know that my public, the people who believe in me and who have supported me, Julion Alvarez and his folk band deserve an explanation." ALVAREZ SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FOLK SINGER, JULION ALVAREZ, SAYING: "We are going to way for the documents that we have been asked for at the moment. Who is and who is officially on the US website, we will see the lawyers get to work in Mexico and see what needs to be done. I am willing to do what needs to be done in the United States, with pleasure. We will present ourselves and I will say who I am, what I do, what I have done and what I have achieved." ALVAREZ WIPING HIS FACE WITH TISSUE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FOLK SINGER, JULION ALVAREZ, SAYING: "I reject it (accusations). If I am asked now, do you have any links, any investments, any ties whatsoever, I don't. I was not hired directly. Regarding Camelia (region), yes I want there I think two times but through other people, there I was introduced to the businessman, the owner of the place etc etc. I never had his (drug cartel member) mobile phone, there was no small talk." ALVAREZ STANDING UP AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE AND THANKING MEDIA
- Embargoed: 25th August 2017 02:43
- Keywords: Mexico folk singer Julio Alvarez USA drug cartels accusations cartel ties
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Crime,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TPOF9F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Mexican folk singer sanctioned by the US for suspected links with an accused drug kingpin professed his innocence at a news conference in Mexico City on Thursday (August 10).
Singer Julion Alvarez as well as soccer star Rafael Marquez and nearly two dozen other Mexican nationals are accused of financial ties with Raul Flores Hernandez, a suspected drug trafficker with links to the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation gang.
The U.S. Treasury Department said the designation was "the largest single Kingpin Act action against a Mexican drug cartel network that OFAC (the Office of Foreign Assets Control) has designated," and comes after U.S. President Donald Trump promised to crush Mexico's drug cartels.
Alvarez told media his lawyers are working on clearing his name from the charges.
In an awkward twist, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto had posted a photo of himself with Alvarez to his Instagram page this week, but deleted it just before news of the sanctions against Alvarez broke. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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