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Three found guilty of killing Aussie surfers in Mexico

Australians Callum and Jake Robinson were killed during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024.

Australians Callum and Jake Robinson were killed during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024. Photo: PR Image

The parents of Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson are returning home from Mexico after three local men were found guilty of murdering their sons and their American friend Carter Rhode.

Jesus Gerardo Garcia, known as “El Kekas”, and co-defendants  Irineo Francisco “N” and Angel Jesus “N” were found guilty of aggravated homicide, violent robbery and vehicle theft by a Baja California court and will be sentenced next week.

Debra Robinson thanked the judge and court staff, saying, “While no verdict can ever bring back our boys or ease the heartbreak of losing them, we hope this outcome represents an important step towards justice and accountability.”

“Callum and Jake had their whole lives ahead of them, filled with dreams, love and promise. We will forever carry their memory in our hearts.

“They will never be forgotten.”

The three men were murdered during a surfing trip in Mexico in 2024.

A judge in Mexico ruled the three defendants acted with premeditation when they shot dead the Australians and Rhoad near the coastal city of Ensenada on April 27, 2024.

The prosecution had sought sentences of up to 150 years against the defendants.

Robinson parents

Martin and Debra Robinson, parents of the Perth brothers, attended court in Mexico for the verdict. Photo: AP

Martin and Debra Robinson travelled from Perth to attend the four-week trial and were in court for the verdict. Rhoad’s widowed fiancee, Natalie Weirtz, spoke via ​video call ​from the United States.

Callum Robinson, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, ​and Rhoad, 30, were camping and surfing near Punta San Jose, about 80km south of Ensenada, when they were reported missing in late April 2024.

After a days-long search, aided by the FBI, their bodies were found on May 3 at the ⁠bottom of a well. The victims were each ‌found ​with gunshot wounds in the head, authorities said.

Prosecutors said the accused had attempted ​to carjack ‌the tourists, who were shot when they tried to resist. Their ute was later found ​burned nearby.

Robinsons ute

A burnt out ute used by the surfers was later found. Photo: PR Image

During the month-long trial, chilling details of the brutal crime were revealed.

Ary Gisell Silva Raya, Garcia’s then-girlfriend, testified last month during a hearing that he confessed to her that he arrived at the tent where the foreigners were staying with a 9mm pistol.

Upon seeing him, they began throwing their belongings to prevent him from attacking them, and one of them begged for his life, which the assailant ignored, she said.

In November ​2025, Silva Raya was sentenced to ‌20 years in prison for her involvement in the case. The woman, who was 23 at the time, was arrested a few days after the bodies of the victims were found.

While the Ensenada area is considered relatively safe, Baja California ranks among Mexico’s ​most violent states. Following the killings, the US State Department urged Americans to reconsider ​travel to the state ⁠due to crime and kidnapping risks.

-with AAP

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