Overview
- Mexican Navy special forces arrested Audias Flores Silva in Nayarit on Monday after a 19‑month intelligence operation that deployed more than 500 troops, six helicopters and multiple aircraft.
- Officials said troops found him hiding in a roadside ditch near El Mirador, north of Puerto Vallarta, and took him into custody without a shot being fired.
- Mexico also detained his alleged financial operator, Cesar Alejandro “N,” known as “El Güero Conta,” in Zapopan in a separate joint operation.
- Local outlets reported retaliation in Nayarit, with cars and shops set ablaze and temporary road disruptions, as security forces worked to restore order.
- Flores faces U.S. charges and an active extradition request, the U.S. had offered a $5 million reward for his capture, and analysts warn the cartel may reorganize despite the leadership blow.