Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that a top Sinaloa Cartel member, recently extradited to the U.S., is suspected of murder, torture, and kidnapping, as well as being part of the cartel’s fentanyl enterprise. Garland made his statement in a media release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 25.
"This morning, Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as ‘El Nini,' was extradited to the United States," said Merrick B. Garland, according to U.S. Department of Justice. "We allege El Nini was one of the Sinaloa Cartel's lead sicarios, or assassins, and was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses who threatened the cartel's criminal drug trafficking enterprise. We also allege El Nini was a part of the Sinaloa Cartel's production and sale of fentanyl, including in the United States."
Perez Salas, known as "El Nini," will face charges in the United States for drug trafficking, possession of machine guns, money laundering, murder, and kidnapping, according to News Nation. His extradition could change the leadership structure of the Sinaloa cartel and incite conflict within the organization. He was taken into custody in November 2023 to await extradition to the United States.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland
| DOJ Facebook
According to Attorney General Garland in the DOJ press release, Salas has been involved in the international trafficking of illegal substances by the Sinaloa cartel including the "production and sale of fentanyl" in the United States.
Other cartel leaders have been convicted in the U.S. with the cooperation of the Mexican government. "The Justice Department will continue to go after the cartels responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl and other drugs," said Garland.
The Department of Justice’s mission is to uphold the laws of the United States, promote national safety, and protect citizens' rights, according to its website. The DOJ is led by United States Attorney General Merrick Garland.
