Mexico National Guard Officers Capture Alleged 'Chapitos' Security Chief El Nini

The Mexico National Guard successfully apprehended Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, suspected Los Chapitos security chief, known as "El Nini," on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

El Nini is alleged to oversee security for the faction of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel led by the sons of the cartel's founder, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Considered by US anti-narcotics agents as one of the most ruthless figures in Mexican drug trafficking, Perez Salas was captured in Culiacan, the heartland of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, and subsequently transported to Mexico City, according to government detention records.

The US State Department accuses Perez Salas of working under Ivan Archivaldo Guzman to lead the "Ninis," a violent group serving as security personnel for the Guzman brothers, also known as "Los Chapitos."

US courts have indicted Perez Salas on a range of charges related to his alleged role at the forefront of the Chapitos' security apparatus.

These charges include conspiracy to traffic cocaine and methamphetamine, possession of machine guns, and witness retaliation.

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US Posted Reward for El Nini's Capture

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a $3 million reward for the capture of Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, aka "El Nini," in April, as he is wanted in the United States on charges of conspiracy to import and distribute fentanyl, per AP.

"This guy was a complete psychopath," said Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the DEA.

Perez Salas is accused of protecting Chapitos, the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and aiding in their drug business, particularly in exporting fentanyl to the US.

His capture is seen as a positive development for Mexico, and it follows a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, where collaboration in combating organized crime and the opioid epidemic was emphasized.

Last week, the US, Mexico, and China agreed to work together to curb the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has been linked to approximately 70,000 overdose deaths annually in the United States, with a significant portion attributed to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel by the DEA.

Despite the capture of El Nini, key figures like Ivan Guzman, leader of Los Chapitos, remain at large.

Chapitos Security Chief El Nini

Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, also known as "El Nini," allegedly led a security team called the Ninis, described as an exceptionally violent group of personnel for the Chapitos, the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

The Ninis received military-style training in various combat areas and were implicated in brutal acts of violence, including the torture of a Mexico federal agent in 2017, according to ABC News.

The victim endured two hours of torture, including the insertion of a corkscrew into his muscles and the use of hot chiles in the wounds.

Under Perez Salas and Jorge Figueroa Benitez's command, the Ninis were involved in gruesome acts, such as executing captured rivals on ranches owned by the Chapitos.

Some victims were shot, while others were fed, dead or alive, to tigers owned by the Chapitos.

The Ninis allegedly conducted human testing on kidnapped rivals or addicts, injecting them until they overdosed, revealing a level of brutality that underscores the extreme nature of their operations.

The details from the indictment provide a disturbing glimpse into the tactics employed by this faction within the Sinaloa Drug Cartel.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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