Michoacán has been the focus of national attention in recent weeks due to the murders of Carlos Manzo, mayor of Uruapan, and Bernardo Bravo Manríquez, a lime growers’ leader in Apatzingán.
Authorities are investigating who might be involved in these cases, and one of the criminal groups implicated is Los Blancos de Troya. Here’s what we know about them.
Who are Los Blancos de Troya?
The criminal cell Los Blancos de Troya operates primarily in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán. It is presumed to be an armed wing of the Los Viagras group, which operates in alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Cartel de la Virgen.
Los Blancos de Troya engages in extortion, kidnapping, and murder of agricultural producers, particularly lime and avocado growers.
Authorities suspect this criminal organization is responsible for the recent attacks on the citrus sector, as reported by lemon growers in Apatzingán, who claim the group extorts money and uses violence to demand protection money.
Under the guise of self-defense, Los Blancos de Troya emerged.
According to the specialized website InSight Crime, Los Blancos de Troya emerged in mid-2015, while various self-defense groups were forming and establishing themselves in Michoacán.
On June 29, 2015, via Facebook, the group, which identified itself as a self-defense force, posted the following message (reproduced without editing) and accompanied it with a picture of its members:
“People of Michoacán, we inform you that due to the events that have been occurring and the warnings from criminal groups, the group BLANCOS DE TROYA will defend its territory from anyone who tries to be too clever. Anyone who comes to fight will get beaten. We don’t want to force anyone into line, nor are we trying to force anyone into line. We want an Apatzingán free of extortionists, thieves, kidnappers, and anyone who tries to be too clever with society.”
“Here we are, ready to fight any cartel that tries to enter Michoacán (…) we are ready to support in any circumstance. Thank you very much, brothers. This is a message from La Bola and its Trojans.”
In that year, after the fall of the Knights Templar, various organizations competed for control of the territory and, according to the website, took advantage of the methods that civilians developed against crime to form other armed groups.
The forerunners of Los Blancos de Troya adopted the banners of the self-defense groups, but their abundant weaponry showed that they had other interests.
“Sources within the self-defense movement say that the ideas of Los Blancos are related to those of Los Viagras, one of the groups that emerged after the fall of the Knights Templar.”
Botox, the organization’s main leader
César Alejandro Sepúlveda Arellano, alias Botox, is one of the main leaders of Los Viagras and Los Blancos de Troya. The Michoacán Attorney General’s Office is offering a 100,000 peso reward for his capture, as he is accused of aggravated kidnapping.
Meanwhile, in August 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Botox for activities related to terrorism, drug trafficking, and extortion in the Mexican agricultural sector.
Source: milenio
