Father of Marine vet murdered in Mexico praises Trump admin sanctions on Sinaloa cartel: 'Palpable' momentum

The begetter of a 31-year-old Marine seasoned from Arizona who was murdered astatine an amerciable checkpoint portion driving to the formation successful Mexico successful 2024 said helium did not expect Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to notation his son’s sanction erstwhile announcing caller sanctions against the Sinaloa cartel this week.  

Doug Quets, a U.S. subject seasoned himself, whose son, Nicholas Quets, served for 4 years successful the Marines, said helium was "really humbled and pleasantly surprised" that Bessent remembered him, arsenic good arsenic different American, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Camarena was abducted, tortured and killed successful 1985. 

Bessent named some men successful a video connection released Monday – what would person been Nicholas Quets’ 32nd day – that announced Treasury Department sanctions against six individuals and 7 entities allegedly progressive successful a money-laundering web supporting the Sinaloa cartel. 

"I had afloat religion successful President Trump… I knew we weren’t forgotten, but erstwhile the caput mentioned my son’s name, no, I was not. I was not expecting that," Doug Quets told Fox News Digital. "I person the religion successful a batch of antithetic levels of our authorities and successful God that things could beryllium done, due to the fact that successful fact, if you apply, if you prosecute these problems and you face these problems, they're fundamentally bullies, right? And truthful if you fto the bullies go, they go bolder and bolder. But if you face them, you tin decision them. So the momentum against these groups is palpable close now. I mean, you tin consciousness it, you cognize that that's occurring. And that's lone due to the fact that of the United States deciding to bash thing astir it." 

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Nicholas Douglas Quets, a 31-year-old Marine veteran, loved being connected the water, his household said. (Quets family )

Quets noted the opposition betwixt the Trump administration's connection and what helium heard from officials connected some sides of the borderline 5 and a fractional months ago. He said his grieving household was told repeatedly by officials successful the aftermath of Nicholas' slaying successful the Mexican authorities of Sonora that "we’re sorry, but there’s thing that tin beryllium done." 

"That, to me, is conscionable infuriating due to the fact that [as] idiosyncratic that's spent a batch of clip providing information for others and promoting welfare, the cognition that thing tin beryllium done against bullies and criminals, that position is wrong. You conscionable person to face it," Quets told Fox News Digital. "We tin triumph immoderate fight. And we tin triumph this fight. And knowing that President Trump is taking it precise seriously, yeah, that gives maine hope, gives my household anticipation that this volition travel to a bully ending for truthful galore people. It'll ne'er travel to bully ending for me, the things we privation back, you know, they're not coming back, but we tin support your family. We tin support different families." 

Quets praised Trump for utilizing "all instruments of U.S. nationalist power" against the cartels and described receiving "overwhelming" enactment from the National Security Council, Justice Department and the FBI.

"It's moving, it ne'er moves arsenic accelerated arsenic you privation arsenic a parent, but helium has taken our lawsuit precise seriously, and I'm ace blessed for that. And everything we discussed, helium has moved retired connected and arsenic fast, I'm convinced, arsenic accelerated arsenic helium could," Quets said. 

"The United States government's susceptible of doing thing it wants to bash successful this satellite if it makes it important enough. And it's conscionable however important we privation to marque it," Quets said. "If you propulsion the close levers and you bash the close things and you bash them successful the sanction of justice, successful the sanction of information of American citizens, you're ever doing the close thing."

About 3 weeks ago, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had a "powerful and affectional telephone call" with Judge Enrique Camarena, the lad of murdered DEA Special Agent Camarena, pursuing the extradition of his alleged killer, Rafael Caro Quintero. Quintero was among 29 defendants taken into U.S. custody successful February to look prosecution successful the United States for cartel-related crimes dating backmost to the 1980s. 

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Quets declined to uncover updates astir his son’s lawsuit amid the progressive probe but welcomed those extraditions arsenic a motion of the increasing momentum from U.S. agencies successful confronting this "evil." 

"I americium pleased. I'm not amazed due to the fact that I did cognize it could beryllium done. And I did consciousness similar it would beryllium done nether President Trump, but I'm pleased that these extraditions person started," Quets said.

Donald Trump holds a photograph of Marine seasoned Nicholas Douglas Quets, who was allegedly killed successful Mexico by cartel members, arsenic his parents, retired Army Lt. Col. Warren Douglas Quets and Patricia, talk during a run rally connected Oct. 31, 2024, successful Henderson, Nevada. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Nicholas Quets, who was employed by Pima County, Arizona, successful h2o reclamation and ran his ain broadside concern arsenic a welder astatine the clip of his death, was making a thrust galore Americans had made earlier down to the Mexican formation municipality of Rocky Point erstwhile helium was murdered connected Oct. 18, 2024, during the tallness of the predetermination campaign, aft evading an amerciable checkpoint successful Caborca, according to his father. 

The household aboriginal learned the way had go much treacherous with rival cartels warring implicit the area, and 2 aged American women were killed astatine a akin checkpoint astir a period beforehand, though that communicative received small quality sum astatine the time. Nicholas Quets was pursued by cartel members connected an astir seven-mile pursuit earlier they ran his pick-up motortruck into a cement median, and the alleged cartel members "shot him successful the backmost arsenic cowards," according to Doug Quets. 

Just days aft his son’s murder, Doug Quets said helium met with vice statesmanlike campaigner and then-Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio, portion helium was campaigning successful Arizona. Trump besides met with the grieving father, who praised some Republicans for their humanity successful speaking with him for astir 15 minutes each portion they were successful the "fight of their lives" successful the plaything state. 

Doug Quets said helium was ignored by Democratic vice-presidential campaigner and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’ squad erstwhile helium made a run halt successful the state. Trump aboriginal invited the Quets household to a rally successful adjacent Nevada, and Doug Quets said Trump unexpectedly introduced him to the assemblage and invited him connected signifier to speak. 

"There was nary script, determination was thing else. President Trump conscionable enactment each his unsighted religion successful maine to conscionable archer the truth," Quets said. "Nick was an guiltless U.S. national driving to the formation and was executed by cowards successful the back." 

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"You person to judge the information that, you know, determination is bully and determination is atrocious and determination is evil successful the world. And my son, done nary responsibility of his own, confronted evil. And that evil, you know, is present being held accountable and is going to beryllium made to pay."