Mexican Authorities Arrest Alleged Jalisco Cartel Leader 'El Tanque' Linked to Fuel Theft and Violence
Mexican federal forces arrested Iván Cazarín Molina, known as 'El Tanque,' on Monday, October 5, 2026, in Zapopan, Jalisco. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed the detention of Molina, who is identified as a regional operator for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Authorities link Molina to a range of criminal activities including homicide, extortion, illegal detention, fuel theft, money laundering, and drug trafficking. He is also accused of involvement in a 2015 attack on a Mexican Army helicopter that resulted in fatalities among military and federal police personnel. The U.S. Treasury Department had previously sanctioned Molina in September 2024, citing his role in the cartel's extensive fuel-theft operations. Molina is alleged to manage a network of gas stations selling stolen fuel and to sell stolen fuel to third parties who then distribute it, sometimes to the U.S. market, particularly in Texas. Fuel theft has become the second most profitable revenue stream for Mexican cartels, ...
