Three Convicted in Baja California Surfer Murders

A judge in Ensenada, Baja California, found three men guilty of murdering Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend, Carter Redd Rhoad, during a surfing trip in April 2024. Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N” were also convicted of armed robbery and armed carjacking. The monthlong trial concluded after the friends’ disappearance and deaths drew international attention. The judge is scheduled to announce the defendants’ sentences on Oct. 16; Baja California prosecutors have requested 210 years in prison for each man. The three friends went to Baja California to surf and were reported missing after arriving near Punta San Jose, roughly 50 miles from Ensenada. Their bodies were discovered in a well on May 3. The victims’ parents attended the trial. Their mother, Debra Robinson, told the court that the killings had taken “the future we had imagined with them.” Their father, Martin Robinson, said losing two sons was especially difficult for a parent. Testimony also described how the killings unfolded. Ary Gisell Silva Raya, García’s former partner, testified that García told her he approached the surfers’ tent with a 9 mm pistol. She said the victims tried to hand over their belongings to avoid an attack, and one pleaded for his life. Prosecutors said Silva Raya had encouraged an accomplice to rob the visitors. She was found with one victim’s cellphone and, after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2025. García and the other two defendants chose to stand trial.

A Mexican court convicted three men on Friday for the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend, Carter Rhoad, during a surfing trip in Baja California. The three victims, aged 30, 33 and 30, were camping in a remote beachside area near Ensenada when they were attacked in what prosecutors described as a botched robbery. Their bodies were found days later in a well, each with gunshot wounds to the head. The judge found that the defendants had acted with premeditation. Sentencing has not yet taken place. Prosecutors are seeking an “exemplary sentence” of 210 years in prison for each man, although the maximum term under Baja California law is 60 years. The brothers’ parents attended the hearing. Their mother, Debra Robinson, cried when the verdict was delivered, while their father, Martin Robinson, said on behalf of the family that the convictions were an important step toward justice and accountability, though they could not undo the loss. During closing arguments, prosecutors recounted testimony from the girlfriend of one of the main suspects. She said Rhoad had pleaded for his life and that her boyfriend later bragged about how his victims cried before he robbed them. The killings shocked Mexico and attracted international attention. The article notes that Baja California is among Mexico’s most violent states, affected by organized crime and drug trafficking, although cartel activity does not usually affect tourists.

Three men have been convicted of the 2024 murders of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad, who were killed during a surfing trip in Baja California, Mexico. The judge found that defendants Jesus Gerardo, known as “El Kekas,” Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus acted with premeditation. Gerardo was accused of leading the attack, which prosecutors described as a suspected robbery. The men were camping at a remote beach when they were attacked; their bodies were later found in a clifftop shaft with gunshot wounds to the head. The Robinsons’ parents travelled from Australia to attend the trial in Ensenada. Debra Robinson testified about the cruelty her sons endured and broke down when the verdict was announced. She and Martin Robinson said the conviction cannot reverse their loss, though they hope it is a step toward justice. The parents said they want to focus on remembering their sons rather than giving the convicted men notoriety. Martin Robinson also said a foundation established in Jake and Callum’s names would continue their legacy. Rhoad’s mother and fiancée joined the hearing remotely. His fiancée said the defendants should be punished so that other families do not experience similar suffering, and described feeling paranoid and isolated since his death. Sentencing is scheduled for 16 October. Prosecutors sought 210 years in prison for each defendant, although the maximum sentence in Baja California is 60 years. The article places the killings in the context of violence in Baja California, where organised crime and drug trafficking are prevalent, while noting that cartel activity does not usually affect tourists. It also recalls the 2015 murders of Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman in Sinaloa. In November 2025, Ary Gisell Silva, the main defendant’s then-girlfriend, received a 20-year sentence after admitting she instigated the robbery.