CJNG Cartel Commander 'Tanque' Indicted in Washington on Cocaine and Meth Trafficking Charges

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has indicted Ivan Cazarin Molina, 42, a Mexican national known as 'Tanque,' on charges of conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for import into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the trafficking, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 22. Prosecutors allege Cazarin Molina was a regional commander for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) in Veracruz, Mexico, from 2005 through 2025. He was arrested on October 5 by Mexican authorities in Jalisco. An indictment is an allegation; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Awaaz Punjab Investigations Desk24 October 20264 min readRead in all 3 languages

WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment charging Ivan Cazarin Molina, 42, a Mexican national, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine for importation into the United States and possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking offence, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on October 22, 2026.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, Oct. 22, 2026

According to court documents, Cazarin Molina, also known as 'Tanque,' was a regional commander for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) in Veracruz, Mexico. On February 20, 2025, the U.S. Secretary of State designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization, the department said.

Source: FINCHANNEL, Oct. 2026

Cazarin Molina is charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States from 2005 through 2025, and with using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm in relation to the drug trafficking conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of 40 years in prison and a maximum penalty of two consecutive life prison terms, according to the Justice Department. He was arrested on October 5 by Mexican law enforcement authorities in Jalisco, Mexico.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said: 'Today's indictment of Ivan Cazarin Molina, a regional leader of the CJNG, sends a clear message that the Department of Justice will find all leaders and commanders of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations and prosecute them for their destruction of our communities through drug trafficking and violence.' DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said Cazarin Molina allegedly helped fuel CJNG's trafficking operations for two decades using intimidation and violence to protect its criminal enterprise.

The DEA's Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit in Los Angeles is investigating the case, which is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit and Trial Attorneys Maryann McGuire, Lernik Begian and Douglas Meisel are prosecuting. The Justice Department noted that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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