Three Men Convicted of Murdering Australian Brothers and American Friend on Mexico Surf Trip

Reporting based primarily on foxnews.com.

Convictions in Baja California Surfer Killings

A judge in Ensenada on Friday found Jesús Gerardo García, known as "El Kekas," Irineo Francisco "N," and Ángel Jesús "N," guilty of murdering Callum and Jake Robinson, along with their friend Carter Rhoad, in Baja California in April 2024. [2] The men were also convicted of armed robbery and armed carjacking. [2] Judge Raúl Hernández is scheduled to announce their sentences Oct. 16, with the Baja California State Attorney General’s Office seeking 210 years in prison for each defendant. [2] The verdicts followed a month-long trial that included testimony about one victim pleading for his life before the killings. [2] The guilty verdicts brought a measure of relief to the Robinson family more than two years after the brothers’ deaths. [2] Their father, Martin Robinson, described the decision as a significant moment in the family’s painful pursuit of justice. [2] He said the outcome could not undo their loss but offered a step toward justice as they continued honoring the three men. [2]

Details of the April 2024 Attack

García’s former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, testified that he told her he approached the surfers’ tent carrying a 9mm pistol. [2] The men threw their belongings toward him in an effort to stop the attack, and one begged to be spared, she said. [2] According to her testimony, García ignored the plea. [2] García allegedly told his girlfriend he had done something to "three gringos" before admitting, "I killed them." [2] She also said he showed her a vehicle fitted with tires allegedly stolen from the victims’ truck. [2] Silva Raya was found with one victim’s cellphone. [2] Prosecutors said she met the surfers April 27, 2024, and urged one of her companions to rob them. [2] She pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November 2025. [2] García and the other two men went to trial. [2] The brothers’ mother, Debra Robinson, spoke about their love of surfing during a tribute on a San Diego beach shortly after their bodies were found. [2] "Our hearts are broken, and the world has become a darker place for us," she said at the time. [2] "They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together." [2] She recalled that Jake, a doctor, sought work at hospitals near surfing beaches and urged others to honor her sons by embracing life. [2] "Live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder in their memory," she said. [2]

Discovery of Bodies and Initial Investigation

The friends had traveled to Baja California to surf and were reported missing after arriving in Punta San Jose, about 50 miles from Ensenada. [2] Their bodies were discovered in a well May 3, 2024. [2] Authorities initially said the men were killed after confronting thieves who wanted the tires from their pickup truck. [2] Chief state prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez said at the time that investigators believed the thieves spotted the truck and tents, then encountered resistance from the surfers during the attempted theft. [2] Demonstrators marched in Ensenada after the killings during the 2024 surfing trip. [2] Martin and Debra Robinson, parents of the murdered Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson, spoke to reporters after the trial. [2] Debra and Martin Robinson left the courthouse after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend in Ensenada on Friday. [2] The brothers and their American friend Carter Rhoad were found dead in a well in May 2024. [2]

What to watch next: Judge Raúl Hernández is scheduled to announce the sentences for the three convicted men on Oct. 16.