Jalisco Cartel Kingpin “El Templeado” Arrested in Major Drug and Fuel Smuggling Operation

Authorities in Mexico have captured Iván Cazarín Molina, a high-ranking figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) known as “El Templeado,” following a coordinated operation in Zapopan on Tuesday.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch announced the arrest via a public statement on X, emphasizing that Molina was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in 2024 for his alleged role in fuel theft operations linked to CJNG. The arrest was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

“Investigations have connected Molina to a network of criminal activities including homicides, extortion, illegal detention, hydrocarbon theft, money laundering, and drug trafficking,” Garcia Harfuch stated. “He is also accused of involvement in a 2015 attack on a Mexican Army helicopter in Jalisco that resulted in fatalities among military personnel and federal police officers.”

During the arrest, authorities confiscated a vehicle, a firearm, and multiple drug shipments.

Molina, identified as part of CJNG inner circle leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (“El Mencho”), will be transferred to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime Matters (FEMDO) for legal proceedings.

The arrest follows recent U.S. sanctions targeting a separate Sinaloa cartel faction, Los Mayos, for alleged corruption and fentanyl trafficking through California. The Treasury Department recently sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 entities linked to the group, including Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada Sicairos, who now leads the faction following his father’s 2024 arrest.

Authorities continue intensifying efforts to dismantle transnational cartels operating along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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