Three men have been sentenced to 158 years and nine months each for the murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip in Mexico.
A court in Ensenada, Baja California, convicted Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús of murder, violent robbery and vehicle theft with violence.
The victims were brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, from Australia, and American Carter Redd Rhoad. They had travelled to the coastal area near Punta San José, about 80km south of Ensenada, in April 2024.
The three men were camping on the night of 27 April when prosecutors said the attackers targeted their Chevrolet Colorado pickup, intending to steal its tyres and other parts. The surfers resisted and were shot, according to the prosecution case.
Their bodies were found on 3 May in a well more than 15 metres deep at a ranch near Punta San José. Investigators also recovered the burnt-out remains of their vehicle in the Santo Tomás area.
The convictions were handed down on 9 October, following a month-long trial. Prosecutors had sought an exemplary sentence of 210 years for each defendant.
The Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office said the prison terms comprised 135 years for the three murders, 10 years and nine months for violent robbery, and 13 years for vehicle theft with violence.
The court also ordered compensation of 1,628,550 Mexican pesos for the victims’ families, along with a further 19,542 pesos towards funeral expenses, according to the prosecutor’s office.
A fourth defendant, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November after pleading guilty in an expedited proceeding. Prosecutors said she made contact with the surfers at Punta San José and encouraged her companions to rob them. She was later found with a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims.
The case drew international attention and prompted protests by residents and surfers in Ensenada, where demonstrators called for safer beaches. Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers’ association, said the killings had led to a major fall in visits by tourists, particularly surfers.
Martin Robinson, the father of Callum and Jake, said after the guilty verdict that it marked an important moment in the family’s “long and painful journey to seek justice” for the three men.
The sentencing brings the formal criminal proceedings in Mexico to a close, more than two years after the surfers disappeared.
