Three men found guilty in the 2024 killing of Australian and US surfers in Mexico
Three Men Found Guilty in Mexico Surfer Killings
Healfromzero.com – Three men found guilty in the 2024 killings of two Australian brothers and their American friend now await sentencing in Ensenada, Baja California. The case followed the disappearance of Callum Robinson, Jake Robinson and Carter Redd Rhoad during a surfing trip on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Judge Raúl Hernández issued the guilty verdict Friday against Jesús Gerardo García, known as “El Kekas,” as well as Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N.” The court found them responsible for the deaths, armed robbery and armed vehicle theft.
The defendants have been held in custody for more than two years. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 16, when the court will determine their penalties.
Prosecutors seek lengthy prison terms
The Baja California State Attorney General’s Office has asked for 210-year prison terms for each defendant, calling the proposed punishment exemplary. The request will be considered at the upcoming hearing.
Callum and Jake Robinson traveled from Australia with Rhoad, an American, to surf in Baja California in April 2024. They were reported missing after arriving near Punta San Jose, a coastal community about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Ensenada.
Their bodies were discovered in a well on May 3, 2024. The case drew grief and attention in Mexico, Australia and the United States, particularly among relatives, travelers and the surfing community.
Trial testimony described robbery and killings
Prosecutors presented evidence that the attack began as a robbery. García was identified as the person who carried out the killings. He was arrested in May 2024 with his former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, while the other two men were later convicted alongside him.
Silva Raya testified during a hearing last month that García told her he approached the visitors’ tent carrying a 9mm handgun. She said the victims handed over possessions after seeing the weapon, and that one pleaded to be spared.
According to prosecutors, Silva Raya arrived in Punta San Jose on April 27, 2024, met the visitors and encouraged one of her companions to rob them. The robbery occurred the following day.
Silva Raya was found with one victim’s phone. In November 2025, she received a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty in an expedited proceeding to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence. García and the two other defendants contested the allegations at trial.
Family calls verdict an important step
For the Robinson family, the finding that three men found guilty offers a measure of accountability but cannot lessen the loss of the three friends.
“Today’s guilty verdict is a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons, Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad, whose lives were so cruelly taken from them in 2024,” said Martin Robinson, the brothers’ father.
Martin Robinson said the family hoped the ruling would help honor the men’s lives and memories.
“No outcome can ever undo this tragedy, but we hope today marks an important step towards justice and allows us to continue honoring their lives and the extraordinary young men they were,” he said. “They will never be forgotten.”
FAQ: What happens next in the Baja California case?
When will the men be sentenced? The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 16 in Ensenada.
What crimes were the defendants convicted of? The court convicted them of the killings, armed robbery and armed vehicle theft connected to the April 2024 attack near Punta San Jose.
What sentence are prosecutors seeking? Baja California prosecutors have requested 210-year prison terms for each of the three men found guilty.
