A top assassin for the Sinaloa drug cartel, known as 'El Nini,' has been extradited to the U.S. to face drug, gun, and witness retaliation charges. Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, the leader of a group providing security for the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, has been identified as a key figure in the cartel's criminal activities.
Pérez Salas, also referred to as 'El Nini,' was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses threatening the cartel's drug trafficking enterprise. He was captured by Mexican authorities last November and has now been brought to the U.S. to stand trial.
The Sinaloa Cartel, led by the sons of 'El Chapo,' is a major exporter of the synthetic opioid fentanyl to the U.S., contributing to approximately 70,000 overdose deaths annually. The U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of Pérez Salas' alleged crimes in a recent news release.
President Joe Biden expressed gratitude to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the extradition, highlighting the ongoing collaboration between the two countries to combat the fentanyl epidemic and hold criminal organizations accountable.
Pérez Salas, a former leader of a security team known as the Ninis, was involved in gruesome acts of violence, including the torture of a Mexican federal agent in 2017. The Ninis, trained in urban warfare and sniper proficiency, carried out executions on behalf of the Chapitos, feeding some victims to tigers owned by the cartel.
The extradition of Pérez Salas marks a significant development in the efforts to dismantle the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel and combat the illicit drug trade. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had offered a substantial reward for his capture, underscoring the importance of bringing key cartel members to justice.
