Three men sentenced to more than 158 years for the killings of Australian, US surfers in Mexico

A judge on Friday sentenced three Mexican men to more than 158 years in prison each for the 2024 murders of two Australian brothers and their American friend, a case that tarnished Mexico’s image by exposing the risks foreigners face when visiting the tourism-dependent country.

The sentencing, which came a week after the men were found guilty , marked the end of a lengthy legal process over the killings of Australians Callum and Jake Robinson, and American Carter Redd Rhoad. Their bodies were found in May 2024, and at least four people were arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime.

A judge in the coastal city of Ensenada, in Baja California state, ruled that Jesús Gerardo García, known as “el Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N” would each serve 158 years and nine months in prison for murder, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.

Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers’ association, welcomed the outcome, saying “justice has been served.” But he acknowledged that the killings had caused a “major drop” in tourist visits, particularly by surfers, to the region known for its beautiful beaches.

Here is a look at the key facts and events in the case:

The Robinson brothers — Callum and Jake — and their American friend decided to travel to Mexico in late April 2024 to pursue one of their passions, surfing, at a beach in Punta San José, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the city of Ensenada in Baja California state.

Unaware of the risks they faced, the three friends decided to camp on the beach on the night of April 27, 2024.

Their attackers confronted them there, shot them dead in the early morning hours and then dumped their bodies into a well more than 15 meters (50 feet) deep. The bodies were found on May 3 after several days of searching.

The Baja California prosecutor’s office announced on May 5, 2024, that it had arrested García, known as “el Kekas,” identifying him as the suspected gunman in the killings of the three foreigners.

State authorities said García had a criminal history in Ensenada involving alleged drug dealing, unlawful entry into a home, domestic violence and vehicle theft.

García’s former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, and two of his alleged accomplices, Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N,” were also arrested in the case.

Silva Raya, whom authorities found in possession of a cellphone belonging to one of the victims, agreed to an abbreviated trial and in November was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.

State prosecutor María Elena Andrade alleged that the attackers wanted to steal the tires from the foreigners’ pickup truck and that the victims resisted.

“The attackers pull out a gun they were carrying and kill the person who initially resisted the robbery, then turn on the other two,” she added.

周五，一名法官判处三名墨西哥男子每人超过 158 年监禁，罪名是他们在 2024 年谋杀了两名澳大利亚兄弟和他们的美国朋友。此案暴露了外国人访问这个依赖旅游业的国家时面临的风险，损害了墨西哥的形象。

在三名男子被判有罪一周后，法庭宣判，标志着澳大利亚人卡勒姆·罗宾逊、杰克·罗宾逊和美国人卡特·雷德·罗德被杀案漫长的法律程序终于结束。他们的遗体于2024年5月被发现，至少有四人因涉嫌参与此案而被捕。

下加利福尼亚州沿海城市恩塞纳达的一名法官裁定，绰号“el Kekas”的赫苏斯·赫拉尔多·加西亚、伊里内奥·弗朗西斯科“N”和安赫尔·赫苏斯“N”将因谋杀、暴力抢劫和暴力盗窃车辆罪分别被判处 158​​ 年零 9 个月监禁。

下加利福尼亚州冲浪者协会主席安东尼奥·奥塔涅斯对判决结果表示欢迎，称“正义得到了伸张”。但他承认，这起杀戮事件导致该地区游客数量“大幅下降”，尤其是冲浪爱好者，该地区以其美丽的海滩而闻名。

以下是本案的关键事实和事件概述：

罗宾逊兄弟——卡勒姆和杰克——以及他们的美国朋友决定在 2024 年 4 月下旬前往墨西哥，在下加利福尼亚州恩塞纳达市以北约 80 公里（50 英里）的蓬塔圣何塞海滩，追求他们的爱好之一——冲浪。

2024年4月27日晚，三个朋友不顾自身安危，决定在海滩露营。

袭击者在那里与他们遭遇，在清晨时分将他们枪杀，然后将尸体抛入一口超过15米（50英尺）深的井中。经过数日搜寻，尸体于5月3日被发现。

2024 年 5 月 5 日，下加利福尼亚州检察官办公室宣布逮捕了绰号“el Kekas”的加西亚，并认定他是杀害三名外国人的嫌疑枪手。

州政府官员称，加西亚在恩塞纳达有犯罪记录，涉及涉嫌贩毒、非法闯入民宅、家庭暴力和盗窃车辆。

加西亚的前伴侣阿里·吉塞尔·席尔瓦·拉亚（Ary Gisell Silva Raya）和他的两名涉嫌同谋伊里内奥·弗朗西斯科·“N”和安赫尔·赫苏斯·“N”也在本案中被捕。

当局发现席尔瓦·拉亚持有其中一名受害者的手机，他同意接受简短审判，并于 11 月因暴力抢劫和暴力盗窃车辆罪被判处 20 年监禁。

州检察官玛丽亚·埃琳娜·安德拉德声称，袭击者想要偷走外国人皮卡车的轮胎，而受害者进行了反抗。

她补充说：“袭击者拔出随身携带的枪支，杀死了最初反抗抢劫的人，然后又对另外两人开枪。”