Mexico Arrests CJNG Commander El Jardinero in Nayarit

Mexican special forces arrested Audias Flores Silva, a top commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel known as El Jardinero, on Monday as he hid in a roadside ditch near El Mirador in the northwestern state of Nayarit.

The operation, carried out by the Mexican Navy with more than 500 troops, six helicopters, and several aircraft after months of surveillance, unfolded without shots fired or casualties, officials said. Navy statements described how forces surrounded a cabin protected by about 30 pickup trucks and more than 60 gunmen, who scattered as a diversion, allowing troops to capture Flores. Local reports indicated that cars and businesses were burned in the area afterward.

Flores served as head of security for Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, the cartel's previous leader who was killed in a military operation in February. His death sparked widespread violence, including attacks on businesses, vehicle burnings, and road blockades that killed more than 70 people, among them 25 National Guard members. Mexican security officials said Flores oversaw the cartel's drug production and trafficking in Nayarit, Jalisco, Mexico State, and Zacatecas.