Notorious cartel leader captured while trying to hide in a ditch
- Posted on April 28, 2026
- By The Independent
- 0 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
Mexican military forces successfully apprehended Audias Flores Silva, alias 'El Jardinero,' a high-ranking CJNG commander, during a precision operation in Nayarit. The capture, executed without firing a shot and supported by extensive surveillance spanning 19 months, involved over 500 troops and aerial assets. This significant arrest follows the elimination of the cartel's principal leader two months prior, marking another major victory in Mexico's ongoing battle against organized crime.
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Notorious cartel leader captured while trying to hide in a ditch
A notorious cartel leader was captured by Mexican military forces as he tried to evade detection in a ditch. Audias Flores Silva, known as “El Jardinero,” a regional commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was captured on Monday (27 April), two months after the cartel's overall leader was killed. Aerial footage released by the Mexican navy shows Silva being captured whilst hiding in a roadside ditch near the community of El Mirador in the state of Nayarit. “The operation was carried out with surgical precision without a single shot being fired,” the navy said in a statement. The United States had a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. His capture comes after 19 months of surveillance, and it involved more than 500 troops, six helicopters and several planes.
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