Mexican Cartel Operator Allegedly Ran Multimillion-Dollar Fuel Network
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.
104 Articles
104 Articles
The alleged links of the Mexican left with organized crime return to the center of the scene. On Monday a drug lord was arrested who would have a direct relationship with the best friend of Andrés López Beltrán, the son of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Iván Cazarin Molina, alias 'El Tanque', was a leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) in the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Puebla, and is considered one of t…
This criminal group is known for its violent tactics and attacks against authorities. Donald Trump's government declared it a "foreign terrorist organization" in February 2025. Iván Cazarin Molina, alias "El Tanque", led the operations of the CJNG in several states of the south of the country, reported in the X network the Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch. He was part of Nemesio's "El Mencho" Oseguera, founder of the cartel, added the …
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.
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