Why is Mexican rapper Natanael Cano banned from entering the US? Complete details explored

The Mexican rapper and singer, Natanael Cano, best known for his regional Mexican corridos, such as corridos tumbados, has been banned from entering the US after the US immigration officials found he had obtained and used a religious visa under false pretenses, according to the Daily Mail.

For context, the religious visa category is meant for religious professionals; however, it was found that Cano was not affiliated with any church and had used the visa for performing commercially in the U.S.

Natanael had begun his music career in 2018 and released his debut studio album, Todo Es Diferente.

More details on Natanael Cano's visa fraud

Investigations revealed that Natanael used a religious visa for two years, renewed multiple times via his label CT Récords and a third-party agency. During the third renewal, officials discovered that the rapper had never been part of any religious congregation, which suggested that he had misused the visa. This then led authorities to determine there was visa fraud, leading to the cancellation of his visa status.

The entertainment journalist Javier Ciriani said this about Cano's visa status:

''The authorities realized that Natanael Cano was not a member of any congregation or church, which is why they took away his documentation to travel to the United States.''

He continued:

''On the third renewal, which is when the U.S. authorities reviewed it in more detail, they realized that Natanael Cano wasn't a religious singer and was generating income in the country. Therefore, they revoked his visa for alleged fraud.''

As per reports, Natanael is also under investigation for allegedly paying radio stations in Los Angeles to increase airplay of his songs. It should be noted that Natanael is not the first artist who is banned from entering the US. In May 2025, Julión Álvarez and his band members had their U.S. work visas unexpectedly canceled just a day before a sold-out concert at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which was scheduled for May 24, 2025.

The move to ban the artist from entering the US aligns with a broader Trump-era crackdown on artists in the corridos tumbados and narcocorrido genres, many of whom have had visas revoked, as there were allegations that their music glorifies criminal organizations.

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Some of Natanael’s most popular tracks showcase why he’s become a defining face of the corridos tumbados movement, including Porte Exuberante, El Drip, Soy El Diablo, Madonna, Porte Exuberante, and Amor Tumbado.

As of now, neither Natanael nor his label, CT Récords, has issued a public statement addressing the allegations regarding the visa fraud.

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