- Ongoing Sinaloa violence in Mexico
- Sons involved in fentanyl
- “El Nini” cartel capture
Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as “El Nini,” the alleged security commander of a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, was apprehended by the National Guard of Mexico.
“El Nini” is suspected of commanding a ruthless contingent of bodyguards tasked with securing the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The sons, referred to as “Chapitos” (little Chapos), rose to the helm of a cartel faction after their father’s incarceration.
The United States had offered $3 million (£2.4 million) in exchange for information leading to his capture.
He is sought on suspicion of drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The Ongoing Battle Against Fentanyl Trafficking
By targeting cartels responsible for transporting the synthetic opioid fentanyl from Mexico to the United States, U.S. authorities aim to halt the drug’s flow.
Three of El Chapo’s sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, Iván Archivaldo, and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, have established a fentanyl-trafficking enterprise, smuggling millions of doses of the lethal opioid into the United States, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
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Extradited to the United States in September, Ovidio Guzmán López, also known as “El Ratón” (The Mouse), has entered a not-guilty plea to charges encompassing narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
Both remaining “Chapitos” are still elusive.
“El Nini” is suspected of leading a violent organisation that provides the siblings with personal security.
US officials said “El Nini” is one of the Chapitos’ most feared killers, abducting, torturing, and executing rival drug dealers.
He was arrested in Sinaloa’s capital, Culiacán, the cartel’s administrative centre.
Soldiers and members of the National Guard conducted a joint operation during which they attacked the Colinas de Rivera neighbourhood.
Mexican media reported that “El Nini” tried to flee by climbing a rooftop but gave up when gunshots erupted.
Extra security was deployed in Culiacán to prevent future outbreaks of violence comparable to those that paralysed the city following the initial detention of Ovidio Guzmán López. He was immediately flown to Mexico City.
Retaliation and Previous Incidents
In 2019, “El Nini” allegedly ordered the group’s acts in retribution for Ovidio Guzmán López’s arrest. Consequently, this apprehension involved prison riots, gunfights, and the obstruction of major roads.
Guzmán López was ordered to be released by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador due to the severity of the violence.
In 2023, Guzmán López was acquitted once more and extradited to the United States.
