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Mexican officials confirmed that they have recovered the bodies of two Australians and a San Diego man who went missing last weekend during an apparent camping and surfing trip.
The governor of Baja California, Marina Del Pilar Avila Olmeda, made a statement in response to the confirmation of the State Attorney General’s Office regarding the identification of the bodies rescued south of Ensenada by the families of the missing foreign citizens. In her statement, she reiterated the request for a clear and effective investigation, urging close coordination between the three levels of government to clarify all doubts surrounding these events.
Likewise, she called on the State Judiciary to apply the law with all rigor against those responsible for these unfortunate events. Despite these events, the governor emphasized that Baja California continues to be a safe tourist destination for thousands of people from all over the country and the world, and she sends condolences and solidarity to the families affected at this difficult time.
Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, along with American Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen on April 27, as previously announced by the Baja California state prosecutor’s office. The missing American was referred to as Jack Carter Rhoad.
On Friday, Mexican authorities announced the recovery of four bodies in an area of Baja California near where the foreigners disappeared. The state prosecutor’s office did not immediately confirm whether three of the bodies belonged to the missing individuals, stating that they were discovered during the search for the missing men.
The bodies were found south of the city of Ensenada in Santo Tomas, Baja California, as confirmed by FBI San Diego. This location was near the remote seaside area where the missing men’s belongings were found on Thursday.
The three men were on vacation surfing near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, approximately 90 minutes south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Concern arose when the men did not show up at a rental property near K38, a popular surfing spot near Rosarito and much closer to the border.
The Australian Consulate in Los Angeles, the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are reportedly involved in the investigation.
In connection with the disappearance, Mexican police have arrested three individuals in Baja California, one of the country’s most violent states. Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, aka El Kekas, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and Jesus’ brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia were arrested. All were found in possession of methamphetamine and other illegal narcotics at the time of their arrest, according to local news blogs Talk Baja and Zeta Tijuana.
