B King became the center of a deadly criminal probe after his murder and that of DJ Regio Clown led Mexican authorities to arrest 16 people.
Those arrested were tied to a powerful drug trafficking ring accused of controlling the city’s designer narcotics trade.
Officials say the Colombian rapper, whose real name was Byron Sanchez Salazar, and his DJ partner Jorge Herrera Lemus were killed over disputes involving “tusi,” a synthetic pink powder marketed as cocaine but often laced with methamphetamine.
The pair was found stabbed to death on September 17 along a highway outside Mexico City, a day after being abducted from a gym in the upscale Polanco neighborhood.
The State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office announced the arrests on October 31, stating that the killings were tied to a turf war over who could distribute the lucrative party drug at concerts and events.
Investigators traced a silver Mercedes-Benz used in the kidnapping to Jaime N., also known as “Puga,” a member of the notorious Union de Tepito gang.
Authorities say the gang had granted exclusive distribution rights to a man identified only as “M###,” and any unauthorized sales of “tusi” or “coco channel”—a blend of cocaine and meth—were met with violent consequences.
The Attorney General’s statement said, “The murder of the Colombian musicians is related to the commercialization of narcotics, a debt one of them had with a criminal organization, and a personal relationship with a man identified as ‘El Pantera.’”
One of the suspects arrested, Christopher N., known as “El Comandante,” is believed to be linked to “El Pantera,” who remains at large. The case has also drawn scrutiny over alleged misconduct by law enforcement.
According to El País, four Colombian nationals claim they were tortured by Mexican prosecutors in an attempt to coerce confessions. The men say they were suffocated with plastic bags and shown photos of the Mercedes-Benz while being forced to identify it.
Authorities discovered the Mercedes on September 24 inside a building where they also rescued another kidnapping victim. That finding widened the investigation into a broader criminal enterprise that included drug trafficking and a violent loan-sharking operation.
At the scene where B King and DJ Regio Clown’s bodies were dumped, police found a narco-banner with threats and the initials “FM,” believed to reference La Familia Michoacana cartel.
Security analysts say “tusi” has become a status symbol and was allegedly one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ favorite drugs.
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