A fugitive Mexican cartel leader, wanted by authorities on both sides of the border, has issued a stunning public invitation to former US President Donald Trump to send forces into Mexico to 'eradicate corruption'.
Video Message from Hiding Challenges Mexican State
In a video circulated on social media and reported by Mexican outlets to have been filmed from hiding, César Alejandro Sepúlveda Arellano directly addressed the American leader. Known by the alias 'El Bótox', he is identified as the head of Los Blancos de Troya, the armed wing of the Los Viagras cartel.
"Mr President of the United States, I respectfully ask you, if you are going to enter Mexico, to do so, because it is needed," Arellano stated. He claimed the US has "a good government that does not ask for bribes like Mexico’s," and called for American intervention to tackle the violence and graft he says plagues the country.
Allegations of Corruption and a Plea for Migrants
Arellano, who faces multiple arrest warrants, made explosive allegations against Mexican security forces. He claimed that on two separate occasions, officials demanded one million pesos (approximately £4,200) to allow his criminal operations to continue unchecked. "They came for my money to let me work," he alleged.
He also turned his criticism on Carlos Torres Piña, the government secretary for Michoacán state, questioning the state of the Morelia prison. "Torres Piña, are you okay with what is happening in your prisons?... everything is covered up," he said in the video.
Beyond calling for US intervention, the cartel boss urged Trump to halt the deportation of Mexican migrants and instead integrate them into the American labour market. He framed the Mexican government as "the biggest mafia," responsible for perpetuating violence and poverty.
Sheinbaum's Stance and the Backdrop of Violence
This extraordinary plea stands in direct opposition to the firm position of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Just days before the video emerged, on Monday, Sheinbaum publicly stated that any deployment of US troops on Mexican soil was "not on the table". This was her response to an offer from Trump to send American forces to help dismantle cartels.
While President Sheinbaum has extradited dozens of cartel figures to the US and cooperated on border security, she remains a staunch opponent of foreign military intervention. The plea from 'El Bótox' highlights the complex and often contradictory forces at play in the cross-border fight against organised crime.
Arellano is wanted in connection with the murder of prominent agricultural leader Bernardo Bravo Manríquez in October. Manríquez, president of the Apatzingan Valley Citrus Producers Association, had repeatedly denounced extortion by criminal groups. Authorities in Michoacán have offered a 100,000-peso reward for information leading to Arellano's arrest.
His armed cell, Los Blancos de Troya, is linked to a litany of crimes in key agricultural regions, including:
- Extortion
- Kidnapping
- Homicide
- Territorial control
The public video appeal from a major cartel figurehead marks a dramatic new twist in the ongoing tensions between US proposals for direct action and Mexico's defence of its national sovereignty.
