Mexico: bodies of three Australian and American surfers found, their van burned down

What happened to Callum, Jake and Carter? Mexican authorities have found three bodies in the state of Baja California, where an American and two Australians went missing. Brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, 33 and 30, and Carter Road, 30, made no sign to their loved ones for a week. They were surfing and camping on the coast of Baja, but did not show up at their accommodation in Rosarito.

On Wednesday, the mother of the missing Australians, Debra Robinson, posted a plea on a local community Facebook page for help finding her sons, expressing concern that she had not heard from them since April 27. Robinson said his sons had not been heard from since Saturday, April 27. Debra Robinson was even more worried because Callum, the eldest, has diabetes. It was she who gave the name Carter Road, but the US State Department did not confirm this identity, citing only the disappearance of an “American citizen.” The Robinson family are originally from Perth.

The FBI confirmed to US media that three bodies had been found in La Bocana, near Ensenada, but were being held pending a forensic examination of the remains by a government laboratory before confirming the identity of the deceased. .

Meanwhile, Mexican investigators continue to search the rugged terrain where the bodies were found for more evidence. They work with the FBI, as well as the Australian and American consulates. A burnt-out white van was also found in the area.

Three people questioned by police

On Friday, Mexican justice issued warrants for the crime of enforced disappearance, and three people were reportedly questioned in this context. State Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez said some of them were directly linked to the case, but did not specify whether they were suspects or witnesses. Despite drug cartels operating in the area, she said “all avenues of investigation are currently open.” “Unfortunately, it was only in recent days that they were reported missing. This means significant hours or time have been lost,” she said before the bodies were found.

Including the ultraviolet city of Tijuana (2 million inhabitants, 2,000 reported murders a year), Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states, even if the Ensenada region is considered safer. The US State Department is advising Americans to reconsider traveling to the state due to crimes and kidnappings. In December, Tijuana cartel leaders killed at least five police officers while searching for corrupt agents who stole a drug shipment from them. In 2015, two Australian surfers, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas, were in the western state of Sinaloa. Authorities claimed they were victims of bandits, not traffickers.

Less than a month ago, in the state of Coahuila, which borders the United States, a drug cartel that kidnapped four Americans and killed two of them wrote a letter of apology and handed over the alleged perpetrators to authorities.