Three Mexican men have each been sentenced to more than 158 years in prison for the murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a 2024 surfing trip along Mexico's Baja California coast.
Under the ruling by a judge in the coastal city of Ensenada, Baja California state, Jesus Gerardo Garcia, known by the nickname "El Kekas," Irineo Francisco "N" and Angel Jesus "N" must each serve 158 years and nine months for homicide, armed robbery and armed vehicle theft.
The three defendants were convicted a week earlier of killing Australian brothers Callum Robinson, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, along with their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30.
The case has hit Mexico's tourism industry, exposing the risks foreigners can face when visiting the country. The Baja California Attorney General's Office had earlier sought a "deterrent" sentence of 210 years in prison for each defendant.
Antonio Otanez, president of the Baja California surfers' association, welcomed the outcome of the trial and said "justice has been done." He also acknowledged that the killings had sharply reduced the number of tourists, especially surfers, visiting an area famous for its beautiful beaches.
The Robinson brothers and Rhoad traveled to Mexico in late April 2024 to surf at a beach in Punta San Jose, near the well-known resort city of Ensenada. The three friends camped on the beach on the night of April 27, 2024. After they were reported missing for several days, authorities launched a search that lasted for days with support from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On May 3, their bodies were found in a well more than 15 meters (50 feet) deep; all three had been shot in the head.
Last week, Martin Robinson, the brothers' father, said the "guilty verdict is a significant 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 in 2024."
