On the Radar: Drug Lords, Dissident Groups, and Airstrikes in Latin America

This week in On the Radar: the capture of “El Jardinero” and what it reveals about the future of Mexico’s major drug lords, attacks by FARC dissident groups in Colombia, and the intensification of US airstrikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels.

Transcript

Is Mexico running out of drug capos?

Are Colombia’s FARC dissidents escalating toward a new phase of coordinated violence as elections approach?

And why are US strikes on suspected drug vessels intensifying?

Welcome back to On the Radar, where we discuss the week’s top news stories about organized crime in Latin America.

Mexican Authorities Capture Top CJNG Leader

In Mexico, authorities captured Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero,” a top leader of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG), alongside several other high-profile crime figures tied to the CJNG and the Gulf Cartel. The arrests mark a small victory for authorities and could further weaken the CJNG, which lost its leader, “El Mencho,” in February.

We lay out the list of bosses now behind bars or dead and analyze how the list of high-profile capos to capture is dwindling.

What will the next chapter in the country’s crime wars be? Read all about it at InSightCrime.org.

Attacks by FARC Dissidents Display Their Strength

In Colombia, at least 26 coordinated attacks hit Cauca and Valle del Cauca, including a deadly car bombing in Cajibío that authorities blamed on FARC dissidents loyal to Iván Mordisco. Alias “Mi Pez,” leader of the Dagoberto Ramos structure, was arrested on Tuesday and accused of orchestrating the strikes.  

The attacks show that despite sustained military pressure, Colombia’s dissident factions still retain the operational capacity to launch large-scale violence while expanding their control over criminal economies.

US Ramps Up Anti-Drug Airstrikes

And finally, reporting by the New York Times says US airstrikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific have been ramping up in the last two weeks, citing sources close to the campaign. At least 185 people have been killed since the operation began in September 2025. 

The recent acceleration in attacks takes place as attention has shifted to the US’ war with Iran, and despite experts declaring the strikes as extrajudicial killings.

Our research suggests that drug traffickers are adapting to the strikes and seeking other routes to move cocaine from source countries Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru to consumer markets.

That’s it from On the Radar this week. You can read in-depth criminal profiles and reporting on all of the stories in this week’s edition at insightcrime.org.