Mexico, regional leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación arrested

Mexican security forces have arrested Iván Cazarín Molina, alias "El Tanque" ("The Tank" in Italian), considered a regional leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (Cjng), one of the main criminal organizations in the country.

The arrest took place in Zapopan, in the state of Jalisco, as part of an operation conducted by federal authorities. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told a press conference today that a firearm, drugs and a vehicle were seized during the operation.

According to authorities, Cazarín Molina operated in the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Puebla and is linked to murders, extortion, kidnappings, oil thefts, money laundering and drug trafficking. The Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury had sanctioned him in September 2024, indicating him as a member of the trusted circle of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho", the historic head of the CJNG killed on February 22nd.

"El Tanque" is also suspected of having participated in the 2015 attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in the state of Jalisco, in which nine soldiers died. After his arrest, he was made available to the specialized prosecutor's office against organized crime.