Whereas Nicholas Douglas Quets was born on March 31, 1993, in Panama, where his father was serving in the United States Army;

Whereas Nicholas Quets grew up in Tucson, Arizona and graduated from Empire High School;

Whereas Nicholas Quets honorably served the United States as a member of the United States Marine Corps, where he deployed overseas, demonstrating courage, dedication, and patriotism in defense of the Nation;

Whereas Nicholas Quets was known by family and friends for his generous spirit and strong desire to help others, reflecting the same sense of service that defined his time in the United States Marine Corps;

Whereas Nicholas Quets possessed a deep passion for craftsmanship, including welding and fabrication, and took pride in creating and building through skilled trades;

Whereas, after being honorably discharged from military service, Nicholas Quets earned several degrees from Pima Community College and became a certified welder;

Whereas Nicholas Quets was working on water reclamation projects for Pima County, Arizona at the time of his death, and his community mourns his loss;

Whereas, on October 18, 2024, Nicholas Quets was driving through the Mexican state of Sonora along the Altar-Caborca highway, en route to the coast town of Puerto Peñasco;

Whereas Nicholas Quets encountered armed criminals associated with the Sinaloa Cartel at an unauthorized cartel-controlled highway checkpoint;

Whereas reports indicate that Nicholas Quets fled from initial gunfire, but the attackers caught up with him and fired at his vehicle, causing it to crash;

Whereas the attackers shot 31-year-old Nicholas Quets and fatally wounded him;

Whereas the brutal murder of Nicholas Quets reflects the ongoing threat posed by transnational criminal organizations and cartel violence in the region;

Whereas violent criminal organizations, including factions associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, have engaged in ongoing conflicts to gain control of narcotics and smuggling routes in northern Mexico, which has contributed to increased violence along Mexican highways and in border regions frequented by American visitors;

Whereas the violence perpetrated by transnational criminal organizations endangers innocent civilians, undermines the rule of law, and threatens the safety of United States citizens traveling abroad; and

Whereas the Senate mourns the tragic loss of Nicholas Quets and honors the service he rendered to the United States as a member of the Armed Forces: Now, therefore, be it