Enigma Norteño Vocalist Ernesto Barajas Fatally Shot in Zapopan

Zapopan, Mexico – On Tuesday afternoon, Ernesto Barajas, 38, was killed in a parking area. He was the lead singer and founder of Enigma Norteño, a popular regional Mexican music group. State prosecutors say two attackers on a motorcycle shot at Barajas and a friend just after 3 p.m. Both were killed instantly. An 18-year-old woman walking nearby was also wounded.

Local authorities confirmed that the attackers quickly fled the scene. The Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office is now investigating the double homicide as organized crime. Barajas reportedly got several death threats because of his band’s narcocorrido songs. These songs praise figures from the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

Enigma Norteño began in 2004 in Culiacán, Sinaloa. They now have more than four million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their success comes from fusing traditional corridos with modern themes. Barajas, the band’s producer and bassist, admitted to writing custom narcocorridos for cartels. He charged up to $60,000 for each song in recent years.

His murder comes amid escalating violence targeting regional Mexican performers. In May, five members of the band Fugitivo were killed in Tamaulipas after ransom demands. Mexican states have started to ban narcocorridos from public performances. They claim these songs encourage crime. In addition, the federal government has taken away visas from some artists tied to the genre.

Fans and colleagues are sharing tributes to Barajas on social media. They recall his vibrant stage presence and the mark he left on música regional. Enigma Norteño’s management agency, Tanto Líder, posted on Instagram: “Rest in peace, Ernesto. Your legacy as an artist and human being will endure forever.”

The Jalisco prosecutor’s office wants anyone with information to speak up. The investigation is still in progress.