Ramon Ayala's first concert since Mexico arrest
quote:
Three members of Los Cadetes de Linares were freed on Wednesday
By Sergio Chapa
Sunday, March 07, 2010 at 4:31 a.m.
Read more: Local, Entertainment, Ramon Ayala, Bravos Del Norte, Norteno, Beltran Leyva Drug Cartel, Cadetes De Linares, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Borderfest, Hidalgo, Hidalgo County, Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Mexico
Ramon Ayala had few words but let his music do the talking at his first public performance since being arrested in Mexico in December.
Ayala took the stage at Hidalgo's BorderFest with an accordion painted to look like the Mexican flag around 11 p.m. Saturday.
But the Norteño legend didn't speak to his audience during the 45-minute performance.
Instead, Ayala went from song to song in a performance that included favorites such as "Mi Piquito de Oro", "Tragos Amargos" and "Ya No Llores".
Thousands of cheering fans did seem to mind the drizzle coming down as they enthusiastially sang along during the outdoor concert.
Ayala took time to pose for pictures with fans and sign autographs but made no public statements about his recent arrest or any other topic.
The Hidalgo-based musician and members of the groups Los Cadetes de Linares and Grupo Torrente were arrested by Mexican authorities in December.
They were also playing at a Christmas party for the Beltran-Leyva drug cartel in Morelos when a battle with authorities broke out.
Ayala was released for health reasons while the others remained in custody as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Norteño musician's BorderFest concert followed the Wednesday release of three members of Los Cadetes de Linares and one member of Grupo Torrente.
The EFE News Agency reported the following band members were released but remain at he disposal of law enforcement officials:
Guadalupe Fidencio Tijerina Peña (Los Cadetes de Linares)
Gustavo Guerrero García (Los Cadetes de Linares)
Jorge Luis Verástegui Lerma Cantú (Los Cadetes de Linares)
José Francisco García Cortés (Grupo Torrente)
However, EFE reported that two members of Grupo Torrente and one member of Los Cadetes de Linares remain in custody:
Hugo Dante Grajales Cantú
Rolando Ávila Muñoz
José Carlos Salinas Rodríguez
The three have been charged with drug trafficking and weapons charges along with 11 alleged members of the Beltran-Leyva Carte
