Mexican authorities arrest suspects in the murder of a U.S. Marine in Sonora
Authorities arrested six hitmen for their alleged involvement in the murder of U.S. Marine Nicholas Douglas Quets, which occurred on October 18 in Sonora and sparked criticism from the next vice president of the United States, JD Vance.
The arrest of the suspects, confirmed Tuesday by local authorities to EFE, occurred last Friday after inspections of safe houses of the criminal group Los Deltas, led by Erick Cabrera alias ‘El Delta 1’, head of the armed wing of La Chapiza of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Before, a judge indicted Francisco Federico, who is identified as the material author of the crime, and José Aarón is also under arrest.
After the murder, which occurred in the municipality of Altar, the Army shot down two hitmen who were traveling aboard the vehicle that Los Deltas used to block the U.S. Marine’s path.
The six recently arrested suspects are Jorge Luis S.V. 31 years old, from Guasave, Sinaloa; the former municipal police officer of Caborca Luis Felipe G.C.; Brayan Axiel G.C., 21 years old; Ulises P.A., 30 years old; Andriuk Wilam C.L., 20 years old, and Javier G. A., 32 years old, the last four from Durango.
According to the National Coordination Against Kidnapping and High Impact Crimes (Conase), three of the six detainees said they were relatives of Erick Cabrera, ‘El Delta 1’, and confessed to belonging to the criminal group Los Pelones de Sonoyta and its armed wing Los Deltas.
Read: Mexico is experiencing an unprecedented crisis of violence and with very weakened institutions: NGO
During Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, JD Vance exposed the crime at a rally to exemplify how the violence of Mexican criminal groups affects Americans and at an event in Arizona he promised to do them justice.
On October 18, the Marine left Arizona, United States, and picked up his girlfriend and mother-in-law, with whom he crossed the border aboard a pickup truck to reach Sonora and head to the tourist destination of Puerto Peñasco for vacation.
But when traveling on Interstate 43 Altar-Sáric, he ran into a group of hitmen who wanted to stop them.
In his attempt to escape, he accelerated, but when he reached Federal Highway Mexico 2, Altar-Caborca section, the gunmen caught up with them and shot directly at the driver, who died on the spot, while the women were unharmed.
With information from FORBES
