Three tourists have been found dead in a well with gunshot wounds, according to authorities.
Brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, 33 and 30, from Australia, had travelled to Ensenada for a surfing trip with their friend Jack Rhoard, 30, when they disappeared on April 27.
Officials believe the men were victims of a carjacking and were shot and killed when they tried to stop their pickup truck from being taken.
Their bodies have since been identified by relatives, who flew to Mexico on Sunday to help authorities with the investigation.
According to Maria Andrade, a Baha California state prosecutor, the thieves had wanted the truck for its tires and had shot the men when they fought back. Their bodies were later discovered in a deep well approximately 4 miles away from where the attack occurred.
A burnt pickup truck was also found nearby, along with several abandoned tents and a phone, the latter of which belonged to one of the missing tourists.
Officials also discovered a fourth body in the well, but judging from its condition, it had been there for a while and was not related to the case.
The FBI is currently investigating the case and has been in contact with several international partners. So far, three individuals – two men and a women, have been detained on suspicion for being involved with the attack, whether directly or indirectly. Another man with a known criminal history has also been charged by authorities.
The Most Violent State
Baja California is one of the most violent areas in Mexico, with many drug gangs fighting turf wars. Last year, the state had the second highest murder rate in the country, after Guanajuato.
According to Luis Sandoval, the National Defense Secretary, up to 90 percent of the murders that took place in Baja California so far this year have been linked to organized crime and drug trafficking.
The Ensenada area, where the tourists were, however, was known for being a surfing resort and had always been considered safer.
The killings, however, have sparked anger and fear in the area. Many individuals have also began protesting through the city, holding surfboards with various slogans such as ‘we demand safe beaches’.
The siblings’ parents, Martin and Deborah Robinson, said that Callum had been living in the United States and had dreamt of playing lacrosse professionally. As for Jake, he had decided to visit his brother on ‘the trip of a lifetime’ before beginning a new job as a doctor in Victoria.
Their parents described them as ‘beautiful human beings’. The brothers’ friends and teammates have also blooded social media with tributes. Callum’s girlfriend, Emily, wrote on Instagram that her heart has been ‘shattered into a million pieces’.
The brothers’ friend, Jack,, who was from the U.S., had just proposed to his partner less than a year ago.
Not the First Time
It’s not the first time that tourists were killed while enjoying a surfing holiday in Mexico.
In 2016, Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were killed in Sinaloa under similar circumstances when they fought back during an attempted robbery. Authorities discovered their bodies in a burnt van several weeks later.
In 2022, a total of 192 Americans died while in Mexico, 46 of which were confirmed homicides.
