Mexico: confirm the murder of the two missing Australian surfers and one American

Two Australian surfers and an American were shot dead in an attempted robbery at a Pacific resort in MexicoThe prosecutor’s office for the state of Baja California (northwest) confirmed this Sunday, after relatives of the tourists identified the bodies. Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter traveled to a spa in Ensenada, but were reported missing on April 27. Their bodies were recovered on Friday afternoon from a well in a cliff.

“The prosecution confirms that the bodies found in the well in the area known as La BocanaSouth of Covecorrespond to the nominees Jake It is Callumof Australian origin, as well as American Deposit“, detailed a statement Baja California Attorney’s Officewhere the events took place.

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The relatives of Australians They arrived on Saturday U.S and together with the relatives of Deposit they crossed from California this Sunday. They were assisted by the consular authorities of their countries.

“Confirmation occurs when the victims’ families were able to identify them, without the need to carry out genetic tests”, the statement added.

A man holds a surfboard during a demonstration to demand justice for the murder of three foreign surfers in the city of Ensenada, Mexico. (EFE/Alejandro Zepeda).

The family members were seen by journalists outside the Public Ministry and upon arriving at the forensic center in Covewhere the bodies are, but they stayed away from the press.

According to Australian media and social media posts, Jake was 30, his brother Callum was 33 and American Jack was 30.

“Projectile Hole”

At noon on Sunday, the state attorney Maria Helena Andrade He said at a press conference that, according to initial investigations, The motive for the crime would be to steal the truck, especially the tires, in which the tourists were traveling.

Andrade explained that presumably foreign tourists entered an isolated area and no cell phone communication to call for help in case of an accident.

There they would have been intercepted by alleged criminals to enjoy your van, which was later found burned.

“The attackers they pull out a gun that they had in their possession and deprive the life of the one who initially opposed the robbery and then attack the other two (…) and also deprive them of their lives”, stated the prosecutor.

“Everyone has a hole made by a firearm projectile in their head”Andrade added.

For this case, Prosecutors arrested a man on Friday accused of “disappearance committed by private individuals”. He has a history of violence, drug sales and robberies.

They also captured two other people, including a woman, who were being investigated for their probable participation in the same incident. crime and possession of methamphetamine.

Before the victims’ identities were confirmed, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that if the surfers’ deaths were confirmed, The accusation would go from “disappearance committed by private individuals” to “qualified homicide”.

A woman holds a surfboard that says “Beaches, Safety, Freedom, Peace” alongside members of the surfing community protesting insecurity in Baja California, Mexico. (Photo by Guillermo Arias/AFP). (GUILLERMO ARIAS/)

“Beaches, safety, freedom”

According to official data, Mexico closed 2023 with just over 41 million foreign visitorsmore than half of them Americans. The beaches are the main destination.

In Covevery popular with Americans because it is about 100 km from the border, Dozens of surfing fans demonstrated this Sunday to demand greater security measures in the area.

“Beaches, safety, freedom, peace” any “No more deaths” some of the messages read on the panels were converted into banners, an AFP photographer noted.

The murdered surfers had already visited Mexicoappointed the prosecutor based on family stories.

“They comment that they often came to practice their favorite sport, they never had anything to regret”, he said, insisting that the crime had nothing to do with their status as foreign tourists.

On the Instagram account of Callum There are some images of his stay at Mexican Pacifictoasting with beer, eating tacos, relaxing in the jacuzzi or getting ready to surf.

The Australian government expressed its concern about the case while family members launched a search on social media and in the Australian press.

According to Australian media, Callum played professionally in the American Lacrosse League and Jake is a doctor living in Perth.

Authorities found a fourth body in the well but ruled out having anything to do with the surfers’ case andbecause it had been abandoned for a long time.

Other foreign tourists visiting the Mexican Pacific area have been targeted criminal attacks.

In November 2015, two Australian surfers, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, were murdered and their bodies later burned while traveling in the northwestern state of Sinaloa.

The spiral of criminal violence engulfing Mexico has left more than 450,000 dead and more than 100,000 missing since the end of 2006, when the federal government launched a controversial military anti-drug operation.

Source: Elcomercio