Top cartel leader known as "The Gardener" hit with U.S. charges

Crime Cartel boss known as "The Gardener" hit with U.S. charges after being captured while hiding in ditch Updated on: May 15, 2026 / 6:26 AM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google A U.S. federal grand jury on Thursday expanded the charges against the second-in-command of Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel, accusing him of methamphetamine trafficking and conspiracy to launder money.Mexican drug kingpin Audias Flores Silva was arrested on April 27 in the western state of Nayarit in an operation by Mexican Navy special forces based on information provided by U.S. agencies. He was originally charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin in an August 2020 indictment.The capture of Flores Silva, alias "El Jardinero" or "The Gardener," was considered a major blow to the leadership of the cartel, known by its Spanish initials CJNG. The CJNG regional commander was captured while he was hiding in a roadside ditch. Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch posted video on social media appearing to show a man emerging from a hole in the ground as he is being taken into custody.He was identified by Mexican authorities as a possible successor to leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho," who was killed in February in the western state of Jalisco in an army operation."Jardinero believed he would assume control of the violent foreign terrorist organization CJNG following the death of El Mencho. He was wrong." DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said in a statement Thursday. Members of Mexican Special Forces escort Audias Flores, known as "El Jardinero," a top commander of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, in the western state of Nayarit, Mexico, in this handout distributed on April 27, 2026.  Secretaria de Marina (SEMAR) via Reuters The killing of "El Mencho" led to a surge of cartel violence with a wave of attacks on businesses by cartel gunmen, vehicle burnings and road blockades that killed more than 70 people, including 25 National Guard m...