:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/HMJA3NUHMVFKPAZPAPSTJZ7APA.jpg "What was the crime of ‘El Nini’ that triggered his fall into Los Chapitos, according to Anabel Hernández")
Sinaloa Cartel’s El Nini arrested, faces extradition to the United States
In a recent development within the Sinaloa Cartel, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as “El Nini,” was captured on November 22 in Culiacán, Mexico. This arrest marks a significant shift in the structure of Los Chapitos, a faction within the cartel, following the capture of Ovidio Guzmán earlier this year.
El Nini, who was in charge of the security of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s children and led the violent criminal cell of “Los Ninis,” is facing a tumultuous legal battle. The United States government has offered a reward of up to $3 million for his capture and is seeking his extradition to face charges for drug trafficking, money laundering, and possession of firearms.
According to journalist Anabel Hernández, the capture of El Nini was not an isolated incident but rather the result of an internal agreement within Los Chapitos. She stated that the order to capture or eliminate El Nini was given in a meeting led by Iván Guzmán Salazar, the leader of Los Chapitos. This suggests that El Nini had started acting independently and was becoming a hindrance to his superiors.
El Nini’s downfall can be traced back to his alleged involvement in the murder of a DEA informant, which triggered a rift between him and the leadership of Los Chapitos. The gruesome murders in late October, including the kidnapping and subsequent killing of a woman and a 13-year-old child, were attributed to El Nini, indicating a dangerous escalation.
While it remains unclear whether Los Chapitos handed over El Nini, his capture and potential extradition to the United States have raised questions about the future of the Sinaloa Cartel. With El Nini now held in the maximum-security prison of “El Altiplano” and facing extradition proceedings, the power struggle within the cartel is likely to intensify.
As El Nini fights to avoid extradition to the United States, the capture of this key figure in the Sinaloa Cartel reflects the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking and organized crime in Mexico and beyond. The repercussions of his arrest are yet to be fully realized, but it signifies a significant development in the ongoing battle against drug cartels.