Three men convicted of murdering Australian surfers and US friend in Mexico

Three men have been found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their US friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024. The men's full names could not be given for legal reasons, and they were only identified as Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco, and Ángel Jesús. They are yet to be sentenced, but are likely to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Debra Robinson, the brothers' mother, told the courtroom in the northern Baja California state that the murders of her sons had taken "the future we had imagined with them." During the trial, the court heard that the tourists were killed in an apparent botched robbery of their truck in a secluded beach area. Their bodies were later found with gunshot wounds to their heads, dumped down a well. The murders sent shockwaves around the world, particularly in Australia, as the coastal area is usually safe from the violence in other parts of Mexico. Debra Robinson and her husband Martin Robinson have been present in the coastal town of Ensenada throughout the trial and delivered emotional testimony during closing arguments before Friday's verdict. "It's hard for a parent to lose a son, and we lost two sons," said Martin. Family members of Rhoad joined the trial by video link. Speaking to media outside court a week ago, Debra Robinson expressed gratitude to Australians for the support they had received and said they "feel the love and their arms around us." During the month-long trial, the prosecution sought 150 years in prison for each of the three defendants. In November last year, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús Gerardo alias "El Kekas," was sentenced in a separate trial to 20 years in prison after admitting to involvement in the robbery. The murders shocked locals and tourists in Ensenada, who were disturbed by the apparent ease and pointlessness of the killings. The beach town has a reputation as a welcoming spot for surfers, and the murders highlighted the prevalence of extreme violence in Mexico. Authorities suggested that the surfers, all in their early 30s, were murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their killings occurred barely 36 hours after they crossed into Mexico from the US, but their bodies were not found for another week when their families were able to identify them. The surfer community in Ensenada commemorated the men by paddling out at a well-known surfing spot and throwing flowers into the sea. Local surfers called for greater security for residents and tourists, citing other recent examples of violence in the state. Tourism is a key part of the regional economy in Baja California. In response to public concerns, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila attempted to reassure the public about safety in her state, stating, "Baja California is and will continue to be a state with safe tourism for the thousands of people who visit us from the rest of the country and the world." She also extended her condolences and solidarity to the families during this difficult time.