Mexican special forces capture CJNG commander 'El Jardinero' in Nayarit without firing a shot
Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed the arrest of Audias Flores and his financial operator, Cesar Alejandro 'N', following months of surveillance and a US reward offer.
Mexican special forces have successfully apprehended Audias Flores, alias 'El Jardinero', a high-ranking commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in an operation described by the Mexican Navy as being executed with surgical precision. The raid took place in El Mirador, Nayarit, and resulted in the detention of the cartel figure without a single shot being fired.
Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch confirmed that the operation involved more than 500 troops supported by six helicopters and several planes. According to officials, Flores was located hiding in a drainage ditch after his armed escorts, who were protecting a cabin approximately 20km north of Puerto Vallarta, scattered during a diversion. The perimeter surrounding the location reportedly consisted of about 30 pickup trucks and over 60 gunmen before the special forces secured the target.
In a separate joint security operation in Zapopan, Flores's financial operator, Cesar Alejandro 'N', alias 'El Guero Conta', was also arrested. He faces accusations of laundering funds through companies and frontmen, as well as acquiring assets including aircraft, vessels, houses, and ranches. Garcia Harfuch noted that 'El Guero Conta' had invested in tequila production companies, highlighting the cartel's extensive reach into legitimate business sectors.
Flores, who is considered a potential successor to the late Nemesio Oseguera, alias 'El Mencho', held an arrest warrant in Mexico and was sought by United States authorities for extradition. The US government had previously offered a reward of 5 million dollars for his capture. Intelligence provided by US authorities was instrumental in the months-long surveillance that led to the successful raid, according to reports from the Reuters news agency.
The capture of Flores comes amidst heightened diplomatic tension between Mexico and the United States regarding covert operations on Mexican soil. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned Washington against repeating such actions, citing the recent deaths of two CIA agents in a car crash in the northern state of Chihuahua. Sheinbaum stated that her government had issued a diplomatic note warning that the presence of unauthorised US officials must not be repeated.
Governor Maria Eugenia Campos of Chihuahua and State Attorney Cesar Jauregui are scheduled to testify in Mexico City regarding the circumstances of the incident involving the two CIA agents. While the Mexican Ministry of Security noted that one agent entered as a visitor and the other used a diplomatic passport, it reiterated that it was unaware foreign agents were operating within its territory. The CIA has declined to comment on the deaths.
