Mexico Arrests ‘El Jardinero’: Major Blow to Jalisco Cartel Operations

Mexican special forces have captured Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” one of the highest-ranking leaders of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch announced Monday.

Flores was arrested in the western state of Nayarit. He controlled large stretches of cartel territory along Mexico’s Pacific coast and was seen as a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera (“El Mencho”), who was killed in a security operation in February.

“He’s a significant figure,” said Carlos Olivo, a former DEA official. “His arrest will have a bigger effect on CJNG operations than Mencho being taken out.”

Flores is wanted in the United States, which had offered a $5 million reward for his capture. The U.S. Treasury had labeled him a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker.”

The arrest follows a Mexican warrant and U.S. charges. It is the latest blow to Mexican cartels ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, co‑hosted by Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.

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