Alleged Jalisco cartel leader and fuel smuggler dubbed “The Tank” is arrested in Mexico

October 6, 2026 / 11:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Security forces in Mexico have arrested an alleged leader of a notorious cartel who is accused by the U.S. of drug trafficking and a large-scale fuel smuggling operation, authorities said Tuesday.

Ivan Cazarin Molina (a.k.a. "El Tanque"—meaning "The Tank"), was captured on Monday in the town of Zapopan in Jalisco state, security minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said in a social media post.

Mexican authorities say Molina, the alleged regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), runs a massive fuel theft network and is linked to homicides, kidnappings and drug trafficking. He is accused of being involved in the attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in Jalisco in 2015 that killed members of the Army and the Federal Police.

Harfuch posted several images of Molina being apprehended by National Guard members and being escorted in handcuffs.

Th U.S. Treasury sanctioned Molina in September 2024, saying he was part of the inner circle of "El Mencho," the infamous Jalisco cartel leader who was later killed in a military operation.

"Although primarily involved in fuel theft, El Tanque has also engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide," the Treasury said at…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/