Federal capture in Zapopan

Mexican federal security forces arrested Iván Cazarín Molina, known as "El Tanque", in the municipality of Zapopan within the Guadalajara metropolitan area of Jalisco. Cazarín Molina is identified by Mexican authorities as a regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and a close associate of its deceased leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced the operation on Tuesday, confirming that officers seized a firearm, multiple doses of drugs, and a motor vehicle during the apprehension. Federal units involved in the coordinated operation included the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the Mexican Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Intelligence Centre, and the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Attorney General's Office. Following his arrest, Cazarín Molina was transferred to the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Matters of Organized Crime to determine his legal status.

Regional operations and criminal portfolio

Mexican intelligence reports identify Cazarín Molina as the commander directing CJNG criminal activities across the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco, and Puebla. Authorities connect his network to drug trafficking, illicit weapons trade, extortion, kidnappings, vehicle theft, and large-scale fuel theft. The Secretary of Security detailed the operational charges during official statements.

“Investigations link him to homicides, extortion, unlawful deprivation of liberty, fuel theft, money laundering, and drug trafficking.”

In September 2024, the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control placed financial sanctions on Cazarín Molina. The sanctions designated him as a senior cartel figure who reported directly to Oseguera Cervantes. US Treasury assessments stated that his fuel theft network generated tens of millions of dollars each year for himself and the CJNG organization.

Helicopter attack and cartel background

Beyond logistics and illicit trafficking, Mexican authorities link Cazarín Molina to a direct assault on military personnel during Operation Jalisco on 1 May 2015. In that engagement, cartel operatives targeted a Cougar helicopter belonging to the Mexican Air Force, killing eight soldiers and one federal police officer. The arrest follows heightened security measures across Mexico after Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho", was wounded in a military firefight on 22 February 2026 and died in custody.

The death of Oseguera Cervantes prompted widespread unrest earlier in the year, during which cartel members burned vehicles to block roadways across 20 Mexican states, forced residents in Guadalajara to shelter indoors, and caused classes to cancel in several regions. Mexican authorities exchanged intelligence with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to track remaining cartel lieutenants. García Harfuch placed the arrest within the federal administration's security strategy.

“Improving security every day and guaranteeing the peace of Mexican families is the priority of President Claudia Sheinbaum. With intelligence, investigation, and coordination, we continue acting against criminal structures that generate violence.”