Ensenada judge convicts three in triple homicide of surfers

A judge in Ensenada, Mexico, has found three men guilty of the April 2024 murders of two Australian brothers, Callum and Jake Robinson, and their American friend, Carter Rhoad. The defendants—Jesús Gerardo García Cota (alias “El Kekas”), Irineo Francisco García Montaño, and Ángel Jesús León Aguilera—were also convicted of armed robbery and violent carjacking.

The victims had traveled to Baja California for a surfing trip when they were reported missing in Punta San Jose. Their bodies were discovered on May 3, 2024, in a well. During the trial, testimony revealed that the crime was instigated by García Cota’s former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, who met the victims and encouraged the robbery.

Following the verdict, Martin Robinson, father of the Australian brothers, stated that while the ruling is a significant step toward accountability, it cannot undo the loss of his sons and their friend. The legal process concluded after an eight-hour hearing involving a reconstruction of the events.