U.S. indicts alleged CJNG commander Tanque

Reporting and context

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has indicted Iván “N,” known as “Tanque,” on drug-trafficking and firearms charges, according to AF Medios, citing the U.S. Justice Department. Authorities identify him as an alleged regional commander of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Veracruz.

The 42-year-old Mexican national was arrested by Mexican authorities in Jalisco on October 5. The indictment alleges that, between 2005 and 2025, he participated in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and methamphetamine intended for importation into the United States.

AF Medios reported that the charges involve five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as using, carrying and discharging firearms in connection with drug trafficking. Those quantities describe the charged conspiracy, rather than drugs reported seized during his arrest.

If convicted, he could face a minimum of 40 years in prison and a maximum of two consecutive life sentences, the Justice Department said in the account cited by AF Medios.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole alleged that Iván “N” helped sustain the cartel’s trafficking operations for two decades, using intimidation and violence to protect its activities. A. Tysen Duva, an official in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, described the indictment as part of U.S. efforts to prosecute leaders of transnational criminal organizations.

The DEA’s Bilateral Investigations Unit in Los Angeles is investigating the case, and prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division will handle it. The report also notes that the U.S. State Department designated the CJNG a foreign terrorist organization on February 20, 2025.

Original report: AF Medios.