‘El Tanque’ arrest renews attention on CJNG corrido

Reporting and context

The arrest of Iván Cazarín Molina, known as “El Tanque,” has renewed attention on a 2020 corrido that described his alleged role in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and fuel theft. Cazarín was detained on Oct. 5 in Zapopan, Jalisco, in a joint operation involving Mexico's Defense, Navy, National Guard and Security Secretariat, according to Infobae México. The song “Comandante Tanque,” performed by Javier Rosas and his band, has more than 3.5 million YouTube views and over 25,000 likes.

Infobae México reported that Mexican authorities identify Cazarín as a regional CJNG leader operating in Veracruz, Oaxaca, Tabasco and Puebla. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned him through OFAC in September 2024, saying he belonged to a CJNG-linked fuel-theft network that generated tens of millions of dollars a year. According to Infobae México, the alleged operation used illegal Pemex pipeline connections, stored fuel near Veracruz and moved product through a network of apparently legitimate gas stations before sales to third parties, including distributors in Texas.

The report says the lyrics portrayed fuel tankers, a chain of command tied to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” and a connection to Cazarín's brother César, known as “El Tornado.” U.S. authorities and Mexico's Security Cabinet have linked the brothers to the May 1, 2015, downing of an Air Force helicopter in Villa Purificación, Jalisco, which killed eight military personnel and one federal police officer. The allegations and official identifications are attributed to the authorities cited by the source.