Leading Mexican drug lord El Nini, previously among America's most sought-after fugitives, is sent to the US for prosecution.
Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas was a top assassin for the Sinaloa cartel, responsible for murdering, torturing, and kidnapping rivals and witnesses who posed a threat to the cartel's criminal drug trafficking operations, as per a statement issued by the US Attorney General Merrick Garland's office.
The Department of Justice also claims Pérez Salas had a hand in producing and selling fentanyl in the US.
He was indicted in the US on charges of cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, possessing machine guns and destructive devices, and witness retaliation back in February 2021.
In November last year, Pérez Salas was apprehended in Mexico during an operation that garnered praise from US President Joe Biden.
Following his arrest, Biden described him as "one of Mexico's and the United States' most-wanted criminals" due to his roles in "perpetrating violence and illicit fentanyl trafficking into the United States."
The State Department adds that Pérez Salas worked directly with Oscar Noé Medina González, a subordinate of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, one of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán's sons who was previously imprisoned in the US in 2019.
The State Department also noted that Pérez Salas was responsible for the security infrastructure of Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel.
He is accused of being a commander of the "Ninis" cell, known for its particularly violent members protecting Los Chapitos.
"I'm grateful to our Mexican counterparts for their exceptional efforts in capturing and extraditing El Nini," Garland stated in the announcement. "The Department of Justice will continue to pursue the cartels responsible for supplying our communities with fentanyl and other drugs."
CNN's Evan Pérez and Zoe Sottile contributed to this story.
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The extradition of El Nini to the United States highlights the international reach of the Americas' drug trafficking issues, affecting not just individual countries but the world as a whole.
The Sinaloa cartel's operations, including those of its members like Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, pose a significant threat to the safety and well-being of people around the globe, underscoring the importance of global cooperation in addressing such challenges.
Source: edition.cnn.com
