Mexico: Special forces capture cartel leader 'El Jardinero'

Mexico's most powerful organized crime enterprise, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC), suffered another blow on Monday when the Mexican military captured one of its top commanders, Audias Flores Silva.

Known as "El Jardinero," or The Gardener, Flores was seen as the possible successor to the leader of the cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also know as "El Mencho," who was killed in a dramatic operation in February.

The United States, which designated JNGC as a terror organisation in 2025, was offering a $5 million (€4.3 million) reward for information leading to the arrest of Flores after Cervantes' killing. 

The death of El Mencho led to a surge of cartel violence in Mexico, including a rise in attacks on businesses by gunmen, vehicles set on fire, and roads blocked. Over 70 people were killed, including 25 National Guard members.

In a statement released after Silva's capture, the Mexican Navy said he was "identified as one of the main generators of violence."

How was cartel leader 'El Jardinero' captured?

Mexican forces surrounded a cabin north of a resort city, where Flores was hiding under the protection of some 30 pickup trucks and 60 gunmen, the statement said. 

The gunmen "dispersed in different locations" as a diversion tactic, but ground and air tracking led them to Flores, who was found hiding in a roadside ditch. 

The operation was conducted "after 19 months of monitoring this priority target" and "carried out with surgical precision without a single shot being fired," the release said. The Navy also used intelligence provided by US authorities in the successful capture.

It is unclear whether Flores will face charges in Mexico or in the US, where he is sought for extradition.

He was described by Carlos Olivo, a former US Drug Enforcement Administration assistant special agent in ​charge and a CJNG expert, as a "significant figure," whose arrest "will have a bigger effect on CJNG operations than El Mencho being taken out."

Mexico under pressure to crack down on cartels

Videos shared by Mexican security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch showed aerial surveillance feed, with helicopters hovering over the Operation area.

Later on Monday, officials arrested another JNGC associate, Cesar Alejandro N. Mexican authorities said he was a key Money launderer for Flores.

Mexico has been facing rising scrutiny over its security situation as the country prepares to co-host the FIFA World Cup this summer alongside the US and Canada.

US President Donald Trump's administration had also increased pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to crack down on organized crime gangs.

Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected US offers of drone strikes or ground troops for fighting Mexican cartels.

Mexico plays down World Cup security fears

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Edited by: Alex Berry