Mexican authorities said three bodies were found in the same remote stretch of Baja California where two Australian brothers and their American friend disappeared last week while on a surfing trip.
The bodies were recovered south of the city of Ensenada, according to a statement from the State Prosecutor's Office. The statement did not confirm the identity of the dead, but said authorities discovered the bodies while searching for the missing.
Three people who were being questioned in the case have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, according to the statement.
The disappearance of Callum Robinson, 33, his brother Jake, 30, and their friend Carter Rhoad, 30, sparked a massive search involving local authorities, the FBI and the Mexican navy.
It is very likely that the bodies are those of the three foreigners, Medio Milenio reported Saturday afternoon, citing the attorney general of the state of Baja California, María Elena Andrade Ramírez.
She told Milenio that there is evidence that the murders were part of a theft of truck parts, the outlet reported.
The men were outdoor enthusiasts who crossed from the United States to Mexico last month to explore Baja California's famous surf breaks.
Callum Robinson, a senior lacrosse player, documented the trip on social media, showing him and his brother, a doctor and his friend drinking coffee on the beach, making friends with stray dogs and relaxing in a hot tub. Rhoad, from Atlanta, founded an online clothing company in San Diego, according to his Facebook profile.
According to a social media post by the Robinsons' mother, Debra Robinson, the group was supposed to check into an Airbnb in Rosarito Beach last weekend after camping for several days on a remote stretch of beach to the south. from Ensenada. But they were never registered. The last time their relatives heard from the men was on April 27.
Authorities searched near the town of Santo Tomás, where the men had been camping. First they located their tents and the charred remains of the white Chevrolet truck in which the men were traveling. Authorities did not provide information on where exactly the bodies were found.
Baja California's rugged coastline has long attracted surfers and other tourists from north of the border. But in recent years, the state has faced some of the highest rates of violence in Mexico. In 2023, authorities recorded 2,116 homicides in the state, many of them related to drug trafficking.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised to reduce violence in Mexico. But while homicides have decreased slightly during his six-year tenure, they continue to hover around record levels.
