Verdict announced in the coastal town of Ensenada on Friday after a month‑long trial that accused three men of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a 2024 surfing trip.
The three defendants – Jesús Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús – cannot be named publicly because of legal constraints, but prosecutors held them responsible for a botched robbery that culminated in the fatal shooting of the trio in a secluded beach area.
Bodies were discovered a week later dropped into a well, each victim bearing gunshot wounds to the head. The incident occurred less than 36 hours after the surfers entered Mexican waters from the United States.
Debra Robinson, mother of Jake and Callum, stood before the courtroom and said that the murders had ''taken the future we had imagined with them'' and that her family felt an unshakable sense of loss.
When questioned by the media, the Robinsons expressed gratitude for the worldwide outpouring of support, remarking that the love and solidarity had been a vital source of strength.
The jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict at 2pm. Although sentencing has yet to be announced, the prosecution had requested 150 years in prison for each of the three men.
Earlier in November, the girlfriend of the alleged ringleader, Jesús Gerardo – known by the nickname "El Kekas" – received a 20‑year term in a separate trial after admitting her involvement in the robbery.
The case shocked Ensenada’s local tourism community, a region that has long boasted a reputation as one of the safest surf destinations in Mexico. The surfs were hastily pulled away to remember the fallen with flower offerings in the sea, in a gesture of collective mourning.
Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila urged residents and visitors to remain calm, promising that Baja California would stay a secure tourist spot for international travelers and reaffirming her condolences to the grieving families.
The murders highlight a broader problem of escalating violence in Portobello and the Baja California region, posing a challenge for a local economy that hinges on safe beach tourism.
International attention has intensified, urging Mexican authorities to enhance security measures and reassure the global surfing community that such brutal incidents will no longer be an abnormal occurrence on Mexican shores that all travelers rely on for recreation and livelihoods.
