The Mexican military has intensified its crackdown on the Jalisco New Generation cartel, arresting top leaders including Audias Flores, alias 'El Jardinero.' This operation comes just after the death of cartel leader 'El Mencho' and ahead of the World Cup, raising concerns about potential violence.
Key points
Mexican military intensifies crackdown on Jalisco cartel
Audias Flores arrested after hiding in a drainage pipe
Operation follows the death of cartel leader El Mencho
Concerns about violence ahead of the World Cup
Previous operations triggered violent infighting
Mentioned in this story
Jalisco New Generation cartelEl MenchoAudias FloresNayarit
The golden coffin of “El Mencho”, the late leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), had barely been lowered into the ground when the Mexican military dealt a second blow to the very top of the organisation this week.
As special forces descended on a ranch in the state of Nayarit, grainy drone footage showed El Mencho’s possible successor, Audias Flores, alias “El Jardinero”, being hauled from a drainage pipe he had tried to hide in, all without a shot being fired.
With two strikes in two months, the Mexican state is apparently intensifying its operations against high-profile targets just as Mexico prepares to welcome fans for the World Cup – and it has so far avoided the violent infighting that previous operations against such kingpins have triggered.
Wanted poster for 'El Jardinero'
Wanted poster for 'El Jardinero'. Photograph: US Department of State/Reuters
“We’re yet to see any fractures in the CJNG,” said Victoria Dittmar, a researcher for the Insight Crime thinktank. “But that is not to say they won’t happen.” “With the World Cup coming up, I want to believe that the Mexican authorities have a plan and are confident that this is not going to cause chaos.”
Since becoming president in 2024, Claudia Sheinbaum has pursued a more aggressive security policy than her predecessor and ally, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with official figures showing a leap in drug seizures and arrests, and much talk about using intelligence to dismantle criminal structures.
Q&A
What happened to Audias Flores, the successor to El Mencho?
Audias Flores, also known as 'El Jardinero,' was arrested by Mexican special forces after attempting to hide in a drainage pipe.
How is the Mexican government responding to cartel violence ahead of the World Cup?
The Mexican government is intensifying operations against high-profile cartel targets to maintain security as the World Cup approaches.
What impact might the arrest of cartel leaders have on Jalisco violence?
The arrests could potentially fuel violence as rival factions within the cartel may vie for power and retaliate.
Who was El Mencho and why is his death significant?
El Mencho was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, and his death marks a significant blow to the organization, potentially altering its power dynamics.
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But as Donald Trump has piled pressure on Mexico to do still more, threatening tariffs and unilateral military action, the government has increasingly turned to the old method of targeting kingpins – even if it remains unclear that the removal of any individual can much affect the flow of drugs or other illicit activities.
“These blows will change the perception of the action by the Mexican state,” said Armando Vargas, coordinator of the security programme at México Evalua, a thinktank. “But they will not necessarily affect the operations of the CJNG.”
Experience has conditioned Mexicans to expect such violence. The latest example is the ongoing war between factions of the Sinaloa cartel, triggered by the betrayal and delivery of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the US by one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, his former partner at the top of the cartel.
El Jardinero, who controlled CJNG activities in the state of Nayarit and the tourist town of Puerto Vallarta, was among the few considered as a possible next leader of the cartel.
It has since been reported that Juan Carlos Valencia González, the California-born stepson of El Mencho, might have already taken over – but in the press conference after El Jardinero’s arrest, Mexican authorities said their intelligence indicated he had been gathering the men and firepower to take power himself.
Cartel power politics are obscure, making it difficult to predict how El Jardinero’s sudden removal will affect the stability of the CJNG. But it would run against their economic interests to disrupt the World Cup.
“Criminal groups are businesses,” said Vargas. “I don’t think they are thinking about destabilising the country so much as how they’re going to fill their coffers with all the visitors.”
US authorities celebrated the arrest of El Jardinero, which was made with the help of American intelligence and may result in his extradition to face charges in the US – but they are already preparing their next demands.
“I think the idea is that after they finish with the kingpins on their wanted list, they’re going after politicians,” said Dittmar. “It’s part of this dynamic where, no matter how many operations you do – who you capture, who you kill – it’s never going to be enough for the US government.”
