Detention of Suspected Security Chief for El Chapo's Sons in Mexico

Mexico's National Guard has apprehended Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as "El Nini," who is believed to be the security chief of a faction of the Sinaloa cartel. El Nini is accused of leading a brutal group of bodyguards that provided protection for the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, known as "Chapitos" or little Chapos. After their father's imprisonment, the Chapitos rose to power within the cartel. El Nini was wanted by the US authorities on charges of drug trafficking and weapons offenses, with a $3 million reward offered for information leading to his capture. The US is targeting cartels involved in smuggling fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, from Mexico to the US. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), three of El Chapo's sons have built a fentanyl-trafficking empire, smuggling large quantities of the deadly drug into the US. One of the sons, Ovidio Guzmán López, also known as "El Ratón" or The Mouse, was extradited to the US in September and has pleaded not guilty. The other two Chapitos remain at large. El Nini is suspected of being the leader of a violent group that provides personal security for the Chapitos. US investigators believe that he is one of the most fearsome hitmen for the Chapitos, responsible for kidnapping, torturing, and killing rival drug traffickers. El Nini was captured in Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa, where the Sinaloa cartel holds significant influence. He reportedly attempted to flee by climbing onto a house's rooftop but gave up after shots were fired. He was swiftly transported to Mexico City, and extra security measures were implemented in Culiacán to prevent any violent outbreaks similar to those that occurred after Ovidio Guzmán López's initial arrest. El Nini is believed to have orchestrated the group's violent retaliation following the arrest of Guzmán López in 2019, which included prison riots, shootouts, and major road blockades. The violence was so intense that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered Guzmán López's release. However, Guzmán López was eventually re-arrested in 2023 and extradited to the US.