Alleged Jalisco cartel leader and fuel smuggler dubbed "The Tank" is arrested in Mexico
Authorities say the alleged CJNG fuel-theft boss ran a network that generated tens of millions of dollars a year.
- On Monday, October 5, 2026, Mexican federal forces arrested Iván Cazarín Molina, alias 'El Tanque,' in Zapopan, Jalisco. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed the detention of the regional Jalisco New Generation Cartel operator.
- A trusted associate of the late founder 'El Mencho,' Cazarín Molina allegedly managed fuel-theft operations for the cartel, prompting the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control to sanction him in 2024.
- Authorities link Cazarín Molina to extortion, drug trafficking, and a 2015 helicopter attack in Villa Purificación that killed nine people; US Treasury sanctions against his network covered nine individuals and 26 Mexican companies.
- Uncertainty persists regarding whether the arrest will disrupt fuel theft in Veracruz and neighboring states, given that past operations against cartel leadership have triggered widespread violence and roadblocks.
- The arrest follows the April capture of 'El Jardinero,' marking another shift in CJNG leadership; Mexico confirmed in September that Juan Carlos Valencia González, known as 'El Pelón,' has assumed the position of new leader.
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Iván Cazarín, regional CJNG boss known as 'El Tanque,' is captured in Zapopan
Cazarín is a major figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and ran a major fuel theft operation in the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Puebla, though the charges could also include homicide, kidnapping, money laundering and drug trafficking.
Alleged Jalisco cartel leader accused of drug trafficking and fuel smuggling arrested in Mexico - NEW YORK TIMES POST
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Authorities in Mexico say they arrested a notorious member of the Jalisco drug cartel known as “The Tank” on Tuesday. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch announced the arrest in a post on X, identifying the alleged cartel member as Iván Cazarín Molina. Molina was the subject [...]
Alleged Jalisco cartel leader accused of drug trafficking and fuel smuggling arrested in Mexico – Democratic Accent
Authorities in Mexico say they arrested a notorious member of the Jalisco drug cartel known... The post Alleged Jalisco cartel leader accused of drug trafficking and fuel smuggling arrested in Mexico appeared first on Democratic Accent .
Alleged Jalisco cartel leader accused of drug trafficking and fuel smuggling arrested in Mexico
Mexican authorities arrested alleged Jalisco New Generation cartel member Iván Cazarín Molina, known as "The Tank," who was sanctioned by the U.S. for fuel theft ties to CJNG.
The CJNG is accused of the explosion of a car bomb in the center of the country in late August and the murder of a popular mayor in November 2025.
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