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CJNG’s El “M-4”, Alleged Successor to El Jardinero, Arrested in Nayarit

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By Samantha Johnson / July 21, 2026

By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

Mexican authorities arrested José Guadalupe Ahumada Villegas, alias “M-4,” a high-ranking operator of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), along with nine other suspected cartel members during multiple raids on Sunday in Nayarit.

José Guadalupe Ahumada Villegas, alias “M-4”

Federal forces conducted seven simultaneous operations in the municipalities of Tepic and Xalisco, seizing weapons, vehicles, and other assets valued at over 4 million pesos.“M-4” is believed to have taken over as the CJNG’s top coordinator for criminal operations in Nayarit and Tlaxcala after the April 2026 arrest of his predecessor, Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero.”

Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero”, arrested in April 2026.

Authorities identify M-4 as the CJNG’s most important commander in the region. The group faces charges linked to homicide, kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking, cargo theft, arms trafficking, and the illegal extraction and sale of fuel.


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