Security forces in Mexico have arrested an alleged leader of a notorious cartel, accused by the U.S. of drug trafficking and a large-scale fuel smuggling operation. Authorities announced the capture on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2026.
Ivan Cazarin Molina, nicknamed ‘El Tanque’ or ‘The Tank,’ was apprehended in Zapopan, Jalisco state. Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch revealed the news on social media, sharing photos of Molina being taken into custody by National Guard members.
Molina is believed to be a regional leader for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He allegedly oversees a vast fuel theft network and is connected to homicides, kidnappings, and drug trafficking activities. Molina is also accused of involvement in the 2015 attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in Jalisco, which led to the deaths of Army personnel and Federal Police.
In September 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Molina, identifying him as part of the inner circle of ‘El Mencho,’ the infamous CJNG leader later killed in a military operation. Although primarily involved in fuel theft, Molina is also engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide. The Treasury noted that Molina’s fuel theft operations generate tens of millions of dollars annually for himself and the CJNG.
U.S. authorities allege Molina manages a network of seemingly legitimate retail gas stations selling stolen fuel. Furthermore, he is accused of selling stolen fuel to third parties in Mexico, who then distribute it to the U.S., often in Texas. Known as huachicol in Mexico, fuel theft has become the second most profitable source of income for Mexican cartels, following drug trafficking, as highlighted by the U.S. Treasury.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent remarked in 2025 that CJNG’s activities, including fuel theft and crude oil smuggling, create substantial revenue for the narco-terrorist group. This illicit income enables the CJNG to cause disruptions in both Mexico and the U.S.
The CJNG, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, is among eight cartels classified as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. In August, the State Department offered a $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the cartel’s new leader, Juan Carlos González, known as the California-born stepson of ‘El Mencho’.
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