Mexico Arrests Alleged CJNG Fuel-Theft Leader Linked To U.S. Smuggling
Mexican forces arrested Ivan Cazarin Molina, a suspected regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the head of a large fuel-theft operation, on Monday, October 5, 2026, in Zapopan, Jalisco.[1]
Mexican officials identified Molina by the nickname "The Tank." CBS News The U.S. Treasury blacklisted Molina in September 2024 for fuel theft, drug trafficking, extortion and homicide, saying his stolen fuel was often resold into the United States, including Texas.[1] Authorities also accuse him of involvement in a 2015 cartel attack on a Mexican Army helicopter that killed members of the Army and Federal Police.[1]
The Treasury designation and the long-flagged ties to violent cartel operations had already put Molina on both U.S. and Mexican enforcement radars before this arrest.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, October 5, 2026, Mexican forces arrested Ivan Cazarin Molina in Zapopan, Jalisco.
- Molina is described by Mexican officials as a regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and head of a large fuel-theft operation.
- The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Molina in September 2024 for fuel theft, drug trafficking, extortion and homicide, alleging his stolen fuel is resold into the U.S., often in Texas.
- He is accused of involvement in a 2015 cartel attack on a Mexican Army helicopter that killed members of the Army and Federal Police.
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