Mexican special forces have arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero” and one of the top commanders of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in Nayarit. Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch announced this on Monday.
Flores, a regional commander overseeing CJNG territory along Mexico’s Pacific coast, was considered a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho,” who ran the cartel and was killed in February.
Security forces surrounded Flores’ cabin in El Mirador, about 20km north of Puerto Vallarta. He was protected by over 30 pickup trucks and more than 60 gunmen. The operation involved 19 months of surveillance, over 500 troops, six helicopters, several planes, and US intelligence.
US authorities offered a $5 million reward for Flores’ arrest. Later, Mexican authorities arrested Cesar Alejandro N., nicknamed “El Güero Conta,” a key money launderer for Flores.
Carlos Olivo, a former US Drug Enforcement Administration assistant special agent in charge and CJNG expert, said Flores was significant to the cartel’s operations within the United States, controlling drug labs, smuggling routes, and distribution networks.
Mexico has stepped up security efforts under pressure from US President Donald Trump. The Trump administration threatened unilateral military action if Mexico didn’t fight cartels enough and tied tariff threats to insufficient measures against fentanyl trafficking and migration.
The arrest of a key CJNG leader represents a significant step in the fight against those who profit from fentanyl and fuel violence, according to US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson.
In 2021, the US Treasury Department identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.