Arrests in connection with murder of Tucson Marine veteran murdered in Sonora, Mexico

The attorney general of the Mexican state of Sonora confirmed Monday that arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Nicholas Douglas Quets, a 31-year-old Marine veteran and Tucson resident. Quets was shot and killed on Oct. 18 as he drove through Mexico to Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point.

Attorney General Gustavo Salas – reported reporters in Sonora regarding various executed search warrants and pending court orders in connection with Quets’ death.

“The matter has been clarified from the point of view of the investigation. Four captures were made for this purpose,” Salas said.

Mexican authorities found two people with firearms, drugs and cash in Altar, Sonora, and arrested them, according to Salas. One person was previously arrested in September for possessing more than 6 million pesos. He was released after a federal judge decided not to press charges.

While executing search warrants, authorities also found radios and phones.

“Border security, working with the support of the Mexican Army, identified a vehicle with the same characteristics as those in the videos that was involved in the murder of an American citizen,” Salas said. “The vehicle was stopped and the group (inside the vehicle) resisted arrest with firepower.”

The attorney general said the group was chased into a hideout where they continued to shoot at authorities. Both subjects were “neutralized” and identified as members of the group that attacked Quets.

Trump and Vance comment on Quets’ death on the campaign trail

Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance shared news of Quets’ murder with a crowd of supporters at the Pima County Fairgrounds during an Oct. 22 campaign stop in Tucson.

Vance blamed Mexican cartels for Quets’ death.

“What drug cartels do affects more than just us north of the border. It affects everything north and south of the border,” Vance said. “It’s about a young Marine who wants to visit a friend and spend some time at the beach.”

Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, added: “I think we have hundreds of thousands of very good Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who are pretty pissed off at the Mexican cartels. “I think we’ll send them into battle against the Mexican drug cartels as well.”

Two days later, former President Donald Trump also recorded the death of an American on the Sonora Highway. During his remarks at a campaign rally in Tempe, he asked Quets’ wife and family to stand as the crowd cheered them on.

“Just a few days ago, young Marine veteran Nicholas Quets, originally from Arizona, was driving through Mexico for a weekend at the beach… when he was brutally shot on the highway and murdered by Mexican cartel members. It was brutal. . For no reason at all,” said the former president, according to The Arizona Daily Star.

Trump expressed condolences to the family on stage, describing Quets as a “beautiful guy.” He then said that if elected president, he would take on organized crime groups in Mexico and “achieve complete and total victory over these sadistic monsters.”

ADOT partners with Sonora: Arizona and Mexico will provide real-time traffic updates

Governor of Sonora comments on regional security measures

Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño was asked about the murder of an American citizen during a press conference held last week during the Arizona-Mexico Commission. He told reporters that binational efforts are being made to ensure greater security in the region.

“We have various initiatives to ensure safe corridors,” the governor said. “We are launching a pilot plan for the Sonoyta-Puerto Peñasco Safe Corridor.”

Gov. Durazo Montaño said the government of Sonora is committed to working with U.S. officials to increase border security on both sides of the international border.

“We must remember that the emerging problems related to insecurity are the product of criminal activities of organizations that are characterized by a transnational level,” he said.

The governor also noted that “overall crime statistics” for the state are “on a downward trend” and acknowledged that the surge in violence is “particularly damaging to the public” as security improves.

According to data from the Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de Sonora, a total of 16,653 crimes were reported between January and June this year. In the same six months last year, 17,391 crimes were reported, representing a decrease of approximately 4% in 2024 compared to 2023.

This trend is also reflected in the number of homicides committed in 2023 and 2024, which saw an almost 4% decrease.

Do you have any news tips or story ideas about the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona? Contact the reporter at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @rafaeldelag.

This article originally appeared on the Arizona Republic: Sonoran AG confirms arrests in connection with murdered Arizona resident