The United States government has increased a reward for information leading to the conviction of Audias Flores Silva to up to $15 million. Prior to his capture by Mexican authorities on April 27, 2026, Flores Silva, a.k.a. ‘Jardinero,’ was a regional commander of one of the most violent and dangerous narco-terrorist organizations in the Western Hemisphere, the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación or CJNG.
CJNG was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by President Donald Trump’s administration. The cartel poisons American communities with illicit fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. “They are responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands, including American citizens,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Michael C. Gonzales.
According to the DEA and HSI, Flores Silva controlled several methamphetamine laboratories in the central region of Jalisco and in southern Zacatecas and oversaw the operation of several airplanes and clandestine airstrips for illicit use. Flores Silva also controlled tractor-trailer trucks for transporting cocaine from Central America to Mexico, as well as passenger vehicles to transport various illicit narcotics from Mexico to CJNG’s U.S. distribution cells in California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Washington, and Virginia.
In addition to his narco-trafficking activities, Flores Silva was the alleged leader of CJNG’s timeshare fraud operations in Nayarit, including a major operation centered around the Kovay Gardens resort targeting vulnerable Americans.
On August 13, 2020, Flores Silva was charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one kilogram or more of heroin for importation into the United States and use, carry, and possession of a firearm, including a destructive device. A superseding indictment on May 13, 2026, added charges of conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States.
The increased reward was announced by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP). Flores Silva is currently being held in Mexico and the reward is for information leading to his conviction in the U.S.
If you have information, please contact Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by phone at 866-347-2423. If you are located outside of the United States, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are in the United States, please contact the local HSI office in your city. All Identities are kept strictly confidential.