Top assassin for Sinaloa drug cartel extradited to U.S. to face charges, Justice Department says
LA TimesGen. Merrick Garland said in a statement that a commander of a group that provided security for the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has been extradited to the U.S. A top assassin for the Sinaloa drug cartel who was arrested by Mexican authorities last fall has been extradited to the U.S. to face drug, gun and witness retaliation charges, the Justice Department said Saturday. Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as “El Nini,” is a leader and commander of a group that provided security for the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and also helped in their drug business, federal investigators said. The Justice Department last year announced a slew of charges against cartel leaders, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration posted a $3-million reward for the capture of Pérez Salas, 31. At the time of Pérez Salas’ arrest, Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, called him “a complete psychopath.” Pérez Salas commanded a security team known as the Ninis, “a particularly violent group of security personnel for the Chapitos,” according to an indictment unsealed last year in New York.