Missing Surfers Found Deceased in Baja California
Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter were missing since April 27. Three bodies were found in Mexico’s Baja California state, the FBI informed on Friday (May 3), where two Australians and an American went missing last week during a surfing trip in an area hit by cartel violence.
Discovery of Deceased Individuals
“We confirm that three individuals were found deceased in Santo Tomas, Baja California,” a statement from the FBI’s office in San Diego, California said without providing identities of the victims. Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carter were missing since April 27. The brothers were on vacation near the coastal city of Ensenada in the northwestern state of Baja California.
Details of the Investigation
However, Debra Robinson, the mother of the brothers, posted on Facebook that they never reached their intended accommodation. The bodies were found by the FBI in Santo Tomas, roughly 30 miles southeast of Ensenada. Baja California state authorities said on Thursday that three Mexican nationals were being questioned in connection with the disappearances. “A white pickup vehicle was located, as well as other evidence,” the state prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The investigation was coordinated with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Australian and US consulates, it noted.
International Concern and Previous Incidents
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese characterized the disappearances as truly concerning. “We certainly hope that these brothers are found safely, but there is real concern about the fact that they’ve gone missing,” he told Australian television. Baja California, known for its inviting beaches, is also one of Mexico’s most violent states thanks to organised crime groups. In November 2015, two other Australian surfers, Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman, were murdered and their bodies burned while travelling in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa.
