Mexican naval forces have captured Audias Flores Silva, known as “El Jardinero,” a senior commander in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and a top target for both Mexican and U.S. authorities.
Flores had been viewed as a potential successor to cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” who was killed in a high-profile operation in February. The United States, which designated the CJNG a terrorist organization in 2025, had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Flores’s arrest.
Officials said the Navy surrounded a cabin north of a resort city where Flores was hiding under the protection of roughly 30 pickup trucks and about 60 armed men. Those gunmen scattered in what authorities described as a diversion, but coordinated ground and air tracking led security forces to Flores, who was found hiding in a roadside ditch. The Navy said the operation followed 19 months of surveillance and was executed “with surgical precision without a single shot being fired.” Mexican officials also reported using intelligence provided by U.S. authorities.
A Navy statement called Flores “identified as one of the main generators of violence.” Carlos Olivo, a former DEA assistant special agent in charge and CJNG expert, described Flores as “a significant figure” and said his arrest could have greater operational impact on the CJNG than the removal of El Mencho.
The capture comes amid a surge of violence linked to the CJNG after El Mencho’s death, which set off waves of attacks across Mexico — including assaults on businesses, burned vehicles and roadblocks — that left more than 70 people dead, among them 25 National Guard members.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch shared video from aerial surveillance showing helicopters over the operation area. Authorities said they also arrested another associate the same day, identified as Cesar Alejandro N., whom they described as a key money launderer for Flores.
Mexico is under heightened international scrutiny over security as it prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Canada. The U.S. government under President Donald Trump increased pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to do more against organized crime; Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected offers of U.S. drone strikes or ground troops to combat cartels.
It remains unclear whether Flores will face charges in Mexico or be extradited to the United States.
Edited by Alex Berry