Mexican authorities arrested a fugitive cartel boss responsible for the widespread extortion of farmers, several kidnappings, and murders that terrorized the communities in Western Michoacan. The arrest came soon after Breitbart News Foundation published the address of his hideouts.
Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
On Wednesday afternoon, Mexican military forces raided a compound in the town of Cenobio Moreno in the municipality of Apatzingan, Michoacan. For the raid, Mexican Marines and National Guardsmen used several helicopters to swiftly move in and capture Cesar “El Boto or Botox” Sepulveda Arellano, the leader of the Blancos de Troya faction of Los Viagras—a regional cartel that most recently joined forces with Cartel Jalisco New Generation.
Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
The compound that Mexican forces raided was on the 600 block of Avenida Del Deporte in Cenobio Moreno, the same address that Breitbart News Foundation published on January 14, explaining how he was there with his organization and was not keeping a low profile.
Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
The story was the second of its kind, since in July 2025, Breitbart Texas had published the address of another hideout in that same region where El Boto had been hiding. At the time, Mexican authorities did not act, and he was able to continue terrorizing local communities.
Breitbart News Foundation / Cartel Chronicles
According to Mexico’s top security official Omar Garcia Harfuch, El Boto is directly responsible for the murder of Bernardo Vazquez, the leader of a local farming group that had been exposing cartel extortions and threats.
Michoacan FGJE
As Breitbart Texas reported, El Boto is the same drug lord who in 2018 tried to put a hit out on Jose Luis Lara, a contributor to the Cartel Chronicles project. However, 48 hours after Breitbart Texas published exclusive photographs of a handcuffed El Boto during a raid at one of his ranches by Mexican military forces.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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