Mexico's National Guard Arrests Alleged Security Chief of Sinaloa Drug Cartel
The hyper violent, alleged security chief for the "Chapitos" wing of the Sinaloa drug cartel has been apprehended by Mexico's National Guard officers. This arrest was met with gratitude by President Joe Biden.
The arrest took place on Wednesday at a walled property in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state. The detained individual, Nestor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as "El Nini," was listed in the Public Safety Department's arrest registry.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had previously offered a $3 million reward for Pérez Salas' capture. He is wanted in the United States for charges related to conspiracy to import and distribute fentanyl. However, he is also alleged to have committed numerous acts of murder and torture in Mexico.
"This guy was a complete psychopath," said Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "Taking him out of commission is a good thing for Mexico."
Pérez Salas is accused of protecting the sons of a notorious drug lord, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and aiding in their drug operations. The sons are leaders of a faction within the cartel known as the "little Chapos" or "Chapitos," which has been identified as a major exporter of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid, to the U.S. market.
Fentanyl has been responsible for approximately 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States.
"Particularly violent group"
Pérez Salas allegedly operated as the security head for the Chapitos in Sinaloa state, as stated by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. He was among a group of nearly twenty individuals named in an indictment earlier this year.
Pérez Salas led a security team called the Ninis, which was described in the indictment unsealed in April as "a particularly violent group of security personnel for the Chapitos." The Ninis received extensive military-style training in various combat areas, including urban warfare, special weapons and tactics, and sniper proficiency.
The nickname "Nini" is believed to refer to a popular Mexican slang term, meaning "neither nor," often used to describe young people who neither work nor study.
In 2017, Pérez Salas allegedly took part in the torture of a Mexican federal agent. Alongside others, he reportedly subjected the man to two hours of torture, which included inserting a corkscrew into his muscles, ripping it out, and placing hot chiles in the wounds. These details were outlined in an indictment released earlier this year by the U.S. Justice Department.
The Chapitos: A Gang of Violence
A gang known as the Ninis, led by Pérez Salas and Jorge Figueroa Benitez, has been indicted for carrying out gruesome acts of violence. According to the indictment, the Ninis would capture their rivals and take them to ranches owned by the Chapitos for execution.
What makes these acts even more horrifying is that some of the victims were not only shot, but also fed to tigers owned by the Chapitos. These tigers were raised and kept as pets by the gang.
The Ninis went beyond just violence against their rivals. They conducted human testing on kidnapped rivals or addicts, injecting them until they overdosed. In one particularly disturbing case in 2002, they experimented on a woman by repeatedly injecting her with a lower potency of fentanyl until she died from an overdose.
Despite the varying purity of their fentanyl products, the Chapitos continued to ship them to the United States, even after users overdosed on one batch.
Under the leadership of the elder Guzmán and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, the Sinaloa cartel operated with some restraint. However, with Guzmán serving a life sentence and Zambada reportedly facing health issues, the Chapitos have taken advantage of the power vacuum and have become increasingly violent.
Biden expresses gratitude to Mexico for successful arrest
President Joe Biden conveyed his appreciation to Mexican authorities on Thursday for the recent arrest. The apprehension took place less than a week after President Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held a meeting in San Francisco, where they pledged to enhance collaboration in combating drug trafficking, particularly related to fentanyl.
In a statement, President Biden said, "I want to thank President Lopez Obrador and the Mexican Army and special forces for effectively capturing El Nini. I also express our gratitude to the brave men and women of Mexican security forces who carried out this successful operation to apprehend him."
President Biden highlighted El Nini's status as one of the most wanted criminals in both Mexico and the United States for nearly three years. The United States has indicted El Nini for his involvement in violence and the illicit trafficking of fentanyl into the country.
Ovidio Guzman López, also known as one of the Chapitos, was previously arrested in January, just a few days before the meeting between the two leaders in Mexico City.
In September, Ovidio Guzman was extradited to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking, weapons, and other offenses. His father, El Chapo, is currently serving a life sentence in the U.S.
In January, El Chapo reached out to the Mexican president for assistance, citing alleged "psychological torment" in the U.S. prison. One of his attorneys described the message from El Chapo as an "SOS."
Regarding the timing of the arrests, Vigil commented that "some of them are more than coincidence."
"Andrés Manuel López Obrador may be attempting to offer a goodwill gesture in his last moments as president," Vigil stated. The Mexican president's term ends in September.
