A suspected top assassin from Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel has been extradited to the United States on Saturday. The Justice Department revealed that he will be facing charges related to drug and weapons smuggling.
According to a statement by Attorney General Merrick Garland, Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, also known as “El Nini,” was a prominent sicario or assassin for the Sinaloa Cartel. He played a crucial role in carrying out acts of murder, torture, and kidnapping against rivals and witnesses who posed a threat to the cartel’s illicit drug trafficking operations. This announcement came after his recent extradition on Saturday morning.
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Attorney General Garland stated that El Nini was implicated in the Sinaloa Cartel’s manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl, including within the borders of the United States.
The U.S. government had set a reward of up to $3 million for anyone who could provide information that would lead to the capture of Perez Salas. Salas is wanted on several charges including conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, cocaine, and weapons.
He is believed to have close ties with the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the Mexican drug lord currently serving a life sentence in the U.S.
In November 2023, authorities apprehended him in Culiacan, a city in northwest Mexico. This arrest came shortly after President Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed to enhance their collaboration in combatting drug trafficking, with a particular focus on the potent synthetic drug fentanyl.
According to a statement from Mr. Biden on Saturday, El Nini was heavily involved in the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, which is regarded as one of the most lethal drug trafficking organizations worldwide. He has been charged by the United States for his involvement in the illicit trafficking of fentanyl, as well as for the brutal acts of murdering, torturing, and kidnapping numerous adversaries, witnesses, and other individuals. This development is being viewed as a significant victory for justice.
Former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Mike Vigil, referred to Perez Salas as “a complete psychopath” when discussing his arrest with the Associated Press. Vigil also expressed his belief that removing Perez Salas from power is a positive development for Mexico.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 exceeded 107,000. Fentanyl was responsible for approximately 70 percent of these fatalities.
According to the U.S. government, fentanyl is frequently manufactured using materials obtained from China. Subsequently, it is illicitly transported across the border from Mexico by drug traffickers, with the Sinaloa cartel being particularly involved in this activity.
