Security forces in Mexico have captured a man accused by the U.S. of drug trafficking and running a large-scale fuel smuggling operation. Authorities announced the arrest on Tuesday.

Ivan Cazarin Molina, known as “El Tanque,” was arrested on Monday in Zapopan, Jalisco state. Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch shared the capture in a social media post. The Mexican government identifies Molina as a regional leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). They accuse him of managing a fuel theft ring and connecting him to homicides, kidnappings, and drug trafficking.

Molina is also suspected of involvement in a 2015 attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in Jalisco. That attack resulted in the deaths of military members and Federal Police officers. Harfuch posted images showing Molina’s apprehension by National Guard members.

The U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Molina in September 2024, identifying him as part of the inner circle of “El Mencho,” a notorious figure in the Jalisco cartel killed in a military operation. While Molina’s primary activities involve fuel theft, he has also engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and homicide according to the Treasury. His fuel theft operations allegedly generate tens of millions annually for him and CJNG.

U.S. officials claim Molina oversees a network of allegedly legitimate retail gas stations where he sells stolen fuel. They accuse him of trafficking stolen fuel to third parties in Mexico who deliver it to the U.S. market, often in Texas. This practice, known as huachicol in Mexico, ranks as the second most profitable revenue source for Mexican cartels after drug trafficking.

Fuel theft and crude oil smuggling play a significant role in funding CJNG’s activities. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent noted that these operations provide a lucrative income stream for the cartel, allowing it to cause destruction in both Mexico and the United States.

CJNG ranks among Mexico’s most formidable criminal organizations. The U.S. has classified it as one of eight cartels designated as foreign terrorist entities. In August, the State Department offered a $25 million reward for information on its new leader, Juan Carlos González, stepson of “El Mencho.” González was born in California.