Mexican top cartel leader captured whilst hiding in ditch after 19 months on the run.
Audias Flores Silva, a regional commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) known as “El Jardinero,” was captured by Mexican military forces on Monday, 27 April. He was apprehended near El Mirador in Nayarit, where aerial footage showed him attempting to evade detection by hiding in a roadside ditch. The Mexican navy reported that the operation was conducted with “surgical precision” and no shots were fired during his capture.
His arrest followed 19 months of surveillance and involved a significant deployment of over 500 troops, six helicopters, and several planes. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest, underscoring his importance as a notorious cartel leader.
