Top Sinaloa Cartel Assassin Extradited to US from Mexico

The notorious assassin for the Sinaloa cartel, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as El Nini, has been extradited to the US from Mexico. Prosecutors allege that El Nini was a key figure in the cartel, working as a lead assassin for the sons of infamous drug lord Joaquín Guzmán, known as El Chapo.

El Nini is facing drug trafficking and weapons charges in the US, which he denies. US officials had offered a $3 million reward for information leading to his capture. US Attorney General Merrick Garland has accused El Nini of being involved in the cartel’s production and distribution of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, in the United States.

Garland stated that El Nini was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses who posed a threat to the cartel’s criminal activities. This extradition comes as part of a joint effort by US and Mexican authorities to combat the flow of fentanyl across the Mexico-US border, a drug that has contributed to tens of thousands of deaths in the US annually.

This high-profile extradition is seen as a significant step in the efforts of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to achieve peace and end the ongoing drug war. El Nini’s arrest sheds light on the extent of the Sinaloa cartel’s trafficking empire, with other key members, including El Chapo’s sons, also facing serious charges in the US.

With El Nini now in US custody, the authorities are hopeful that they can continue to dismantle the operations of one of the most notorious drug cartels in the world.