Bodies found in Baja California during search for 3 missing tourists, officials say

MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials said three bodies have been found in the same remote stretch of Baja California where two Australian brothers and their American friend went missing last week while on a surf trip.

The bodies were recovered south of the city of Ensenada, according to a statement from the state prosecutor’s office. The statement did not confirm the identity of the dead, but it said authorities discovered the bodies while searching for the missing men.

Three people who were being questioned in the case have been arrested and charged with kidnapping, the statement said.

The disappearance of Callum Robinson, 33, his brother Jake, 30, and friend Carter Rhoad, 30, triggered a massive search involving local authorities, the FBI and the Mexican marines.

It’s highly likely that the bodies are those of the three foreigners, the news outlet Milenio reported Saturday afternoon, citing Baja California state’s chief prosecutor, María Elena Andrade Ramírez.

She told Milenio that there is evidence that the killings were part of a robbery of truck parts, the outlet reported.

The men were outdoor enthusiasts who crossed from the United States into Mexico last month to explore Baja California’s renowned surf breaks.

Callum Robinson, a high-level lacrosse player, documented the trip on social media, showing himself and his brother, a doctor, and their friend sipping coffee on the beach, befriending street dogs and relaxing in a hot tub. Rhoad, from Atlanta, founded an online apparel company in San Diego, according to his Facebook profile.

According to a social media post made by the Robinsons’ mother, Debra Robinson, the group was supposed to check into an Airbnb in Rosarito Beach last weekend after camping for several days on a remote stretch of beach south of Ensenada. But they never checked in. The last time their relatives heard from the men was on April 27.

Authorities searched near the town of Santo Tomás, where the men had been camping. They first located their tents and the burned-out remains of the white Chevrolet pickup the men were traveling in. Authorities did not provide information about where exactly they found the bodies.

Baja California’s rugged coastline has long drawn surfers and other tourists from north of the border. But in recent years, the state has contended with some of the highest rates of violence in Mexico. In 2023, authorities recorded 2,116 homicides in the state, many of them connected to the drug trade.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador vowed to reduce violence in Mexico. But while homicides have fallen slightly during his six-year term, they continue to hover near record highs.