Three Mexicans jailed for 158 years each for killing Australian, US surfers

What the report says

A Mexican judge has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for the 2024 killings of two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip on Mexico’s Baja California coast, Al Jazeera reported. The ruling was issued in Ensenada, in Baja California state, a week after the men were found guilty of homicide, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.

The defendants were identified as Jesus Gerardo Garcia, also known as “El Kekas,” and Irineo Francisco “N” and Angel Jesus “N.” The victims were Australians Callum and Jake Robinson, aged 33 and 30, and 30-year-old American Jack Carter Rhoad. According to the report, the Baja California prosecutor had sought a much longer sentence of 210 years for each man.

The three friends had travelled to the Punta San Jose area near Ensenada in late April 2024 to surf. They were reported missing after camping on the beach, prompting a search that involved Mexican authorities and the FBI. Their bodies were later found in a well, each with gunshot wounds. The case drew attention because it highlighted safety concerns for foreign visitors and had an impact on tourism in the region, particularly among surfers.