As soldiers prepared to raid a drug cartel's Christmas party, they knew they could face a gun battle – but they were probably not expecting to face a Grammy-award winner.
The accordionist, songwriter and cowboy hat enthusiast Ramón Ayala and his band were performing at a house in a gated community of mansions outside the mountain town of Tepoztlán, in Mexico, when soldiers raided the building.
A shoot-out ensued in which three gunmen were killed. Eleven people suspected of working for the Beltrán-Leyva cartel were detained, the Mexican navy said.
The military also seized $280,000 (£222,000) in cash and 16 automatic rifles during a raid which formed part of the Mexican government's ongoing campaign to crack down on drug gangs.
The country's attorney general's office said Ayala, who lives in Hidalgo, Texas, was released after being questioned on Saturday. The authorities found no grounds for charging him.
The musician's website says he has "defined" norteño music, which is known for its use of the accordion and bajo sexto. The style is highly popular among Mexicans, with Ayala selling an average of 750,000 records a year.
Ayala, 64, has won two Latin Grammys and released more than 100 albums. He is due to host Ramón Ayala's Christmas Posada as part of Hidalgo's Festival of Lights Christmas celebration this week.
Modern norteño genre has a darker side, with bands often singing about drug trafficking and violence. According to the Associated Press, many norteño musicians are alleged to have performed for drug cartels.