The bodies believed to be those of two Australians and an American missing in the Pacific coast state of Baja California showed that the three men were killed by gunshots to the head, Mexican authorities said on Sunday.
María Elena Andrade Ramírez, the state’s attorney general, said families of the missing men arrived in Tijuana to verbally identify the bodies. Authorities hope to have official confirmation soon.
The preliminary hypothesis of the investigation is that the missing people were attacked by people who wanted to steal their car.
Doctor Ramón Álvarez Martínez said that the bodies had injuries that suggested resistance.
Three Mexican citizens were detained, one of whom was accused of kidnapping.
The other two are detained for possession of methamphetamine, but Andrade Ramírez did not rule out the possibility that they were linked to the crime.
“In fact, we are sure that more people participated in the attack,” said Andrade Ramírez, who stated that authorities will soon be able to provide more information about the progress made in the investigation.
Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, both in their 30s, were traveling through the region on a surfing holiday, with their friend Jack Carter Rhoad, an American citizen. The trio were reported missing when they failed to check into pre-arranged accommodation near the city of Ensenada last weekend.
Friends and family appealed on social media for any information about his whereabouts, saying it was “out of character” not to keep in touch.
The missing men’s tents and the burned-out truck were found on Thursday on a remote stretch of coast.
On Friday, four bodies were found in a covered well on an isolated farm, four or seven kilometers from where the missing man’s car was found.
Three of the bodies had been there for five to seven days before they were found on Friday. A fourth body was also found in the well, which is estimated to have been there for between 15 and 30 days.
Andrade Ramírez said authorities did not believe the attackers knew the victims were tourists and emphasized that Baja California was still safe for tourists.
In 2023, Mexico recorded more than 30,000 homicides for the sixth consecutive year. More than 100,000 people are also missing.
In 2015, Western Australian surfers Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were murdered, allegedly shot by gang members in the neighboring region of Sinaloa, before their van and bodies were burned.
