Mexican authorities arrested Iván Cazarín Molina, a cartel figure known as “The Tank,” on Tuesday in Zapopan, Jalisco. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch announced the arrest on X, saying his office coordinated with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency during the operation.
Cazarín Molina was sanctioned by the United States in 2024 over his alleged role in fuel theft on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG.
“Investigations link him to homicides, extortion, illegal deprivation of liberty, hydrocarbon theft, money laundering, and drug trafficking. He is also accused of his alleged involvement in the attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in Jalisco in 2015, in which members of the Army and the Federal Police lost their lives,” Harfuch said in a statement.
Officers seized a vehicle, a firearm and various drugs during the arrest.
“In September 2024, the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned him for his ties to the CJNG and identified him as part of the inner circle of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias ‘El Mencho,’ which led to an exchange of information with [the DEA]. He will be placed at the disposal of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime Matters (FEMDO), where his legal situation will be determined in accordance with the law,” Harfuch added.
The arrest comes roughly a week after Washington imposed a sweeping set of sanctions targeting a Sinaloa cartel network accused of corrupting Mexican officials near the U.S. border. That network, known as Los Mayos, and its U.S.-born leader are accused of funneling fentanyl and drug money through California and hiring hitmen to kill rivals on American soil.
According to material obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of its public release Tuesday, the Treasury Department sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 entities in that crackdown. Among those targeted is Ismael Zambada Sicairos, known as “Mayito Flaco,” a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen born in Anaheim, California, whom Treasury described as the “undisputed head” of Los Mayos.
