A Mexican judge has convicted three men of murdering two Australian brothers and their American friend in April 2024 in the state of Baja California, closing a month-long trial in a case that shook Mexico and drew international attention.
In the verdict handed down Friday in the coastal city of Ensenada, Judge Raul Hernandez found Jesus Gerardo Garcia (also known as "El Kekas"), Irineo Francisco "N" and Angel Jesus "N" responsible for the deaths of brothers Callum Robinson, 30, and Jake Robinson, 33, along with their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad, 30. The defendants, who have been held for more than two years, were also convicted of armed robbery and armed vehicle theft.
Martin Robinson, father of the two Australian victims, said: "Today's guilty verdict is an important moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beloved sons Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad, whose lives were cruelly taken from them in 2024."
The three arrived in Baja California in April 2024 to surf and camp near Ensenada. Shortly after reaching the town of Punta San Jose, about 80 km from Ensenada, they were reported missing. Their bodies were found on May 3 in a well, all with gunshot wounds to the head.
Garcia, identified as the mastermind, was arrested in May 2024 along with his ex-wife Ary Gisell Silva Raya, Francisco and Jesus. During the trial, harrowing details of the case emerged. Silva Raya testified that Garcia confessed to her that he went to the foreigners' tent with a 9mm gun. When they saw him, they began throwing objects to stop him, and one begged for his life but was ignored. She said Garcia boasted about "how beautifully the victims cried" and the items he stole.
According to the state prosecutor's office, Silva Raya arrived in Punta San Jose on April 27, 2024, met the three foreigners and "urged one of her accomplices to rob them," which happened the following day. The woman, who was found holding one victim's phone, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2025 after pleading guilty to "aggravated armed robbery" and "armed vehicle theft" under a shortened procedure. Garcia and the two other accomplices chose to go to trial.
Baja California is one of Mexico's most violent states, often affected by organized crime and drug trafficking, although gang activity typically does not affect tourists.
The judge will hand down the final sentence on October 16. The Baja California Attorney General's Office is seeking a "severe" sentence of 210 years in prison for each defendant. Martin Robinson added: "No outcome can undo this tragedy, but we hope today marks an important step toward justice and allows us to continue honoring their lives and the extraordinary young men they were. They will never be forgotten."
