Mexican authorities have extradited one of its most ruthless drug dealers, Nestor Isidro Perez Salas, or ‘El Nini’, to the United States on Saturday.

The Mexican National Guard in Culiacan had, in November, detained Mr Perez, who served as the head of security for the sons of ex-Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.

“We allege El Nini was one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins, and was responsible for the murder, torture, and kidnapping of rivals and witnesses who threatened the cartel’s criminal drug trafficking enterprise,” U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland said in a statement, 

The U.S. also alleged that Mr Perez led the ‘Ninis’, a violent group of security personnel working for Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and other sons of former Sinaloa kingpin El Chapo, who is already in jail.

Mr Perez was indicted and charged in a U.S. court for his alleged role within the Chapitos’ security apparatus, including cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, possession of machine guns and witness retaliation.

He is regarded as one of the highest-profile extraditions during Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s presidency, which began in December 2018.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged that the Los Chapitos are the biggest fentanyl traffickers.

According to Reuters, the DEA chief, Anne Milgram, in a memo, expressed Mr Perez’s importance to the authorities on both countries’ borders.

Ms Milgram alleged that his outfit is a violent group that receives military-style training and is involved in kidnapping, torturing and killing anyone who opposes the Chapitos or anyone who endangers the Chapitos’ fentanyl operation.