Nayarit
Authorities Detain ‘El Jardinero’, Potential CJNG ‘El Mencho’ Successor, in Nayarit After Intense Manhunt
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Federal authorities captured Audias Flores Silva, alias ‘El Jardinero’, one of several contenders to succeed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, ‘El Mencho’, leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) killed on February 22, 2026, in Tapalpa, Jalisco. The April 27 arrest in El Mirador, Santa María del Oro, Nayarit, followed 19 months of tracking and involved no shots. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed ‘El Jardinero’ was among three or four leaders vying for CJNG control; the U.S. had offered a $5 million reward.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Mexican businessman Carlos Federico Valenzuela Cadena on January 16 in Houston, Texas. The 63-year-old faces charges in Mexico for fraud, extortion, and organized crime tied to real estate scams in Nayarit. He will be extradited to face Mexican justice.