Mexico's military has captured Audias Flores Silva, a high-ranking leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a significant blow to the powerful criminal organization. Silva, known as "El Jardinero" or "The Gardener," was considered a potential successor to the cartel's former leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or "El Mencho," who was killed in February.
Flores Silva was apprehended by Mexican officials in the state of Nayarit. The arrest occurred without injury or death. The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. He was a crucial figure in the CJNG's drug production and trafficking operations across several Mexican states, and previously served time in the US for drug trafficking.
The capture follows a period of intense cartel violence after "El Mencho's" death, which included attacks on businesses and road blockades that resulted in over 70 fatalities.
US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson lauded the arrest as an "important step" in combating fentanyl trafficking and dismantling criminal networks threatening both nations. Security analysts view Silva's arrest as a significant disruption to the CJNG's leadership as it attempts to regroup following "El Mencho's" demise, though experts caution that such organizations can adapt quickly.