A different cadaver found at the location had been present there longer and was unrelated to the most recent vanishings, officials confirmed.
Andrade mentioned that one potential cause for the fatalities could be linked to an effort to steal the travelers’ pickup truck. The vehicle – which had been set on fire – was discovered nearby.
AFP reporters witnessed the authorities employing a system of ropes to extricate the filthy bodies from the pit on Friday close to the town of Santo Thomas, around 45km (30 miles) southeast of Ensenada, a location that is challenging to access but favored by surfers.
3 bodies discovered after Australian, US surfers disappear in Mexico
3 bodies discovered after Australian, US surfers disappear in Mexico
The grim discovery seemed to validate the worst apprehensions of the families and acquaintances of vacationing Australian siblings Callum and Jake Robinson, along with their American pal Jack Carter.
The mother of the Australian siblings, Debra Robinson, had raised the alarm on a Facebook page for Baja California tourists a few days earlier, after they lost contact.
“Trying to reach out to anyone who has had contact with my two sons. We have not heard from them since Saturday 27th April,” she wrote, adding a poster created by anxious friends seeking information about their location.
A missing person poster shared on social media stated that Callum Robinson was 33 years old, his brother Jake was 30, and identified their friend as Jack Carter Rhoad, aged 30.
Callum Robinson’s posts on Instagram depicted various scenes from the trio’s journey in Mexico: savoring drinks with their feet up at a bar, lounging in a hot tub, relishing roadside tacos, gazing out at the waves.
Callum had participated in the US Premier Lacrosse League, which issued a statement on its website expressing sorrow over the tragic demise of the trio.
“We extend our sympathies, support, and prayers to the Robinson and Rhoad Families, as well as everyone who knew and loved Callum, Jake, and Jack,” it remarked.
Jake Robinson worked as a physician in Perth, as reported by Australian media.
Mexican officials, who have apprehended three suspects, were conducting the inquiry in cooperation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Australian consulate.
A spokesperson for Australia’s foreign ministry previously stated that they were in regular communication with the Robinson family and acknowledged that this was an extremely distressing period.
Baja California is renowned for its enticing beaches, with its resorts being popular among American tourists, partly due to their proximity to the border.
It also stands out as one of the most dangerous states in Mexico due to the presence of organized crime factions, although cartel operations do not usually impact foreign tourists.
Escalation in Mexican cartel aggression driving record migration to US
Escalation in Mexican cartel aggression driving record migration to US
The recent incident is reminiscent of two Australian surfers who were assassinated and incinerated during their journey in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa in November 2015.
In March 2023, purported members of the Gulf Cartel abducted four Americans in the northeastern city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. Two of them met their demise.
Surging criminal violence in Mexico has resulted in 450,000 fatalities and over 100,000 disappearances since late 2006, when the federal government initiated a contentious anti-narcotic approach involving military units.
Source: www.scmp.com