Mexican Authorities Arrest Alleged Jalisco Cartel Leader ‘The Tank’ in Major Drug and Fuel Smuggling Operation

Mexican security forces arrest 'El Tanque,' a top cartel figure linked to drug trafficking and fuel theft, as U.S. officials highlight his role in cross-bord...

Editorial Desk

October 6, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Zapopan, Mexico — Mexican authorities have detained a high-ranking member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), known as Ivan Cazarin Molina, or ‘El Tanque,’ who is accused of leading a large-scale fuel theft and drug trafficking operation, according to officials.

Molina was taken into custody on Monday in Zapopan, Jalisco state, by National Guard members, as confirmed by Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch through a social media post. He is alleged to be the regional head of CJNG and has been tied to violent crimes, including homicides and kidnappings, as well as involvement in a 2015 attack on a military helicopter that resulted in multiple fatalities.

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The U.S. Treasury designated Molina as part of the inner circle of CJNG’s former leader, ‘El Mencho,’ who was killed in a military operation. U.S. officials claim he oversaw a network of legitimate gas stations used to sell stolen fuel, which is then smuggled into the U.S., particularly Texas. Fuel theft, known locally as ‘huachicol,’ has become the second-largest revenue source for Mexican cartels after drug trafficking, with CJNG profiting significantly from this illicit activity.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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