Mexico City, Mexico – In a security operation described as a “major blow” to organized crime structures, Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced the successful capture of Odias Flores Silva, nicknamed “El Gardinero” (The Gardener), by special forces.
The significance of this high-profile capture lies in his being the de facto leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most dangerous armed groups operating from the western state of Nayarit, from which it conducts cross-border operations.
Cross-border intelligence operation
The operation took place near the coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, where elite naval forces surrounded Silva’s hideout based on arrest warrants.
Reports, citing The New York Times, revealed that the success was not solely a Mexican operation; it was the result of close intelligence cooperation with the United States. The US provided crucial information about the movements of the criminal leader who had plagued its security services with his cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking.
The successor of “El Mancho” and the rise of blood
El Gardinero was born in 1980 in the municipality of Huetamo, Michoacán, known as “La Terre les Blazes” (The Land of Fire) for its gang control. Silva rose through the ranks using aliases such as “El Bravo 2” and “Audi.” He then jumped to the top of the criminal hierarchy following the death of former leader Nemesio Ogüevara Cervantes (“El Mancho”) last February.
His rise was anything but ordinary; it was linked to the development of the group’s arsenal to include suicide drones and anti-tank missiles. It was also linked to the reliance on highly trained mercenary guards.
Rituals of brutality and cannibalism
What distinguished the era of “El Giardinero” was not only its geographical expansion, but also its unimaginable brutality. The imprisoned leader was notorious for instilling a doctrine of cannibalism among his men to terrorize rivals.
According to security reports, Silva appeared in horrific videos urging his men to consume the bodies of their enemies after killing them. This was considered part of “loyalty and courage” training within the cartel.
The end of the great chase
For years, Silva hid in the rugged rural areas between the states of Jalisco and Colima, protected by a wall of loyalists.
However, Security Minister Harfouch confirmed via the X platform that “meticulous planning and the high professionalism of the naval forces” enabled them to breach these fortifications without significant losses. This brings to a close a bloody chapter in the history of crime in western Mexico.
Experts believe that the arrest of “El Gardinero” will create a significant leadership vacuum within the Jalisco Cartel. However, it also raises concerns about a potential power struggle among younger leaders vying for his succession, presenting the Mexican government with a new security challenge in maintaining this strategic victory.
