Identified as one of the top leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Flores Silva was intensely sought by U.S. authorities, who had a five million dollar reward for his capture.
The arrest took place in the state of Nayarit, a region with a strong presence of this criminal organization, and was executed precisely by personnel from the Secretary of the Navy (Semar). This capture holds exceptional strategic relevance, as it occurs just two months after the death in a military operation of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho", the cartel's founder, of whom Flores Silva was considered the main successor.
According to investigations, "El Jardinero", 45 years old, not only held a regional leadership role but also served as the chief of security for Oseguera Cervantes himself. Intelligence reports, developed after 19 months of surveillance and coordination with U.S. agencies such as the DEA, point to him as the one responsible for controlling drug trafficking in extensive areas of the Mexican Pacific. Under his direct command was a complex logistical structure that included clandestine methamphetamine labs, airstrips, and the use of planes and trucks to transport cocaine and heroin from Central America to distribution cells in states like California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Washington, and Virginia.
Flores Silva now faces a complex judicial process. Currently, he has an extradition order requested by the United States for crimes of criminal association against health and firearm possession. Additionally, at the national level, Mexican authorities highlighted that he has an arrest warrant issued in 2024 for the crime of homicide. With this arrest, the Mexican Government delivers a significant blow to the CJNG leadership at a moment of vulnerability following the loss of their historical leader.