Mexico Judge Convicts 3 Men in Baja Surfer Murders
MEXICO · COURTS
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico borders the United States, and its state of Baja California lies directly south of San Diego, California.
- —What happened A judge in Ensenada found three Mexican men guilty of the Baja surfer murders on Friday 9 October 2026.
- —The victims Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, from Perth, and their American friend Carter Rhoad, killed in April 2024.
- —The charges Aggravated homicide plus several robbery offences, including violent theft of the victims’ vehicle.
- —Sentencing The judge is due to announce the prison terms on Friday 16 October, ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, reported.
- —US travel advice Washington rates Baja California at Level 3, “Reconsider travel”, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping.
Three Mexican men were convicted on Friday 9 October of the Baja surfer murders, the 2024 killing of two Australian brothers and an American. A judge in Ensenada, a Pacific port city south of Tijuana and San Diego, delivered the verdict.
For US readers, the case involves an American victim, Carter Rhoad, and a stretch of Pacific coast popular with surfers from California. The US State Department tells travellers to Baja California to “reconsider travel” because of terrorism, crime and kidnapping.
What the Judge Decided on Friday
Judge Raúl Hernández Arellano found Jesús Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús guilty of aggravated homicide. ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, reported that their full names have been withheld for legal reasons.
Zeta, an investigative weekly in Tijuana, reported convictions for several robbery offences as well, including violent theft of a vehicle. It said the judge threw out a separate disappearance charge.
The defence had argued that there was not enough evidence to prove the case. The judge found that several witnesses had given credible and consistent evidence, ABC reported.
Zeta identified Irineo as the brother of Jesús Gerardo. Court documents link Irineo Francisco to the Sinaloa cartel, a drug-trafficking organisation named after its home state in northwest Mexico, according to ABC.
The trial ran for about a month in Ensenada. Closing arguments were heard on Thursday 8 October, as reported in Mexico Judge to Rule Friday on Killing of 3 Surfers.
How the Three Surfers Were Killed
The Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office, which investigates and charges crimes in the state, gave its account of the Baja surfer murders in November 2025. It says the killings happened at Punta San José, a stretch of coast in the Santo Tomás district of Ensenada.
According to the prosecutor, a woman met the three foreigners there between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday 27 April 2024. She noticed their valuables and urged one of her companions to rob them.
Several attackers returned between 10 p.m. that night and 2 a.m. on 28 April, the office said. They attacked the three men with firearms, killed them and took their belongings and the vehicle they were travelling in.
In May 2024, the bodies were recovered from a well more than 15 metres (about 50 feet) deep in a hard-to-reach area south of Ensenada. A fourth body in the same well was unrelated to the case, the prosecutor said at the time.
In May 2024, the office said it was working with the FBI, the main US federal investigative agency, and with the US and Australian consulates.
A Woman Already Serving 20 Years
The case had already produced one conviction. Ary Gisell Silva Raya admitted her role at a hearing on 19 November 2025 and gave up her right to a full trial.
A judge sentenced her to 20 years in prison for robbery with violence and for instigating the theft of the vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said. She was also ordered to pay 54,285 pesos (about US$2,960) in damages, at about 18.33 pesos to the US dollar on 10 October 2026.
She later testified against Jesús Gerardo, her former boyfriend, at the murder trial. ABC reported that she told the court he had described the killings to her.
The Families and the Court
Debra and Martin Robinson, the brothers’ parents, travelled from Western Australia for the trial and heard the Baja surfer murders verdict in court, ABC reported. Debra Robinson cried and embraced an Australian consular representative when the ruling was read.
Outside court, the parents said no verdict could “bring back our boys or ease the heartbreak of losing them”. They added: “We hope this outcome represents an important step towards justice and accountability.”
The judge offered his condolences and told the parents he was ashamed the killings took place in his country, ABC reported. The couple thanked the court, the prosecution, the witnesses and Australian embassy staff in Mexico.
Jake Robinson was a doctor due to start work at a hospital in Geelong, Australia. His brother Callum, a lacrosse player, had moved to the United States and was living in San Diego, 7NEWS, an Australian broadcaster, reported.
Jake had travelled to California to see Callum before the brothers and Carter Rhoad headed south into Mexico, ABC reported.
What It Means for You
Baja California is the Mexican state directly across the border from California. Its Pacific beaches, including remote breaks south of Ensenada, draw surfers from Southern California.
The State Department’s Mexico advisory of 29 May 2026 rates Baja California at Level 3, “Reconsider travel”, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping. It tells visitors to “remain on main highways and avoid remote locations”.
The advisory also says US citizens and lawful permanent residents have been victims of kidnapping in the state. The guilty verdict in the Baja surfer murders does not change that advice for isolated beaches such as Punta San José.
For Americans, the ruling shows that a crime against foreign visitors in Baja California can end in a conviction. It took almost two and a half years, and the sentences are still to come.
What Is Not Known
The length of the prison terms in the Baja surfer murders is not yet known. A day before the verdict, Debra Robinson asked the court to impose the maximum sentences, ABC reported.
The state prosecutor’s office is led by Attorney General María Elena Andrade Ramírez. By early Saturday 10 October, it had not published a statement on the verdict on its website.
It is not known whether the defence will appeal. Zeta reported that the sentencing hearing would be scheduled in the coming days, while ABC gave the date as 16 October.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was convicted in the Baja surfer murders?
On Friday 9 October 2026, a judge in Ensenada found three Mexican men guilty of the Baja surfer murders and robbery. They are Jesús Gerardo, known as El Kekas, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús.
Who were the three surfers killed in Mexico?
They were Callum and Jake Robinson, brothers from Perth, Australia, and their American friend Carter Rhoad. They were killed while camping at Punta San José, south of Ensenada, in April 2024.
When will the three men be sentenced?
The sentences are due on Friday 16 October, ABC reported. A woman linked to the robbery was already sentenced to 20 years in November 2025.
Is Baja California safe for American surfers?
The State Department rates Baja California at Level 3, Reconsider travel, citing terrorism, crime and kidnapping. It advises visitors to stay on main highways and avoid remote locations.
Sources: Fiscalía General del Estado de Baja California, 20-year sentence for robbery linked to the surfer killings, 20 November 2025; Fiscalía General del Estado de Baja California, progress in the case of three missing foreigners, 5 May 2024; Fiscalía General del Estado de Baja California, coordination with the FBI, 2 May 2024; US State Department, Mexico Travel Advisory, 29 May 2026; Semanario Zeta, verdict report, 9 October 2026; ABC News (Australia), verdict report, 10 October 2026; 7NEWS (Australia), verdict report, 10 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error