Cartel Commander Ivan Cazarin Molina Charged with Conspiracy to Import Cocaine and Methamphetamine into the United States
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Oct. 22 that a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia had 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 with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking offense.
According to the department, Cazarin Molina, also known as 'Tanque,' was a regional commander for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) in Veracruz, Mexico. On Feb. 20, 2025, the Secretary of State designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division said the indictment shows the department will pursue leaders and commanders of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said Cazarin Molina allegedly helped fuel CJNG trafficking operations for two decades using intimidation and violence, and that the DEA will work through the homeland security task force and with international partners.
The charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：缉毒局（DEA）查获毒品现场资料图。照片：公共领域（DEA），经 Wikimedia Commons。 / A DEA drug seizure. Photo: Public domain (DEA), via Wikimedia Commons.
