Dark side of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, where two Aussie surfers killed

The brutal killing of two Aussie brothers and their friend while on a surfing holiday has horrified the country, now a dark secret is emerging.

Mexico’s Baja California peninsula is home to beautiful beaches, epic surf breaks and luxury accommodation loved by A-listers; but it also has a dark side.

The peninsula includes two Mexican states, Baja California, which borders the US state of California, and Baja California Sur, which is home to resort city Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip.

The former is where Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, were horrifically killed in what is understood to have been a robbery gone wrong late last month while the trio were on a surf trip.

Callum and Jake Robinson have been killed in Baja California, Mexico while on a surfing trip. Picture: Instagram

The Australian government advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico overall due to the threat of violent crime.

Its Smartraveller website notes Baja California as one of multiple areas most affected by drug-related and gang violence.

“Mexico has a high risk of violent crime, including murder, armed robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping. Don’t travel at night outside major cities. Drug-related violence is widespread,” Smartraveller warns.

“Kidnapping and extortion are serious risks. Don’t draw attention to your money or business affairs. Only use ATMs in public spaces and during the daytime. Stop at all roadblocks, or you risk getting killed.”

There are eight areas in Mexico that Aussies are specifically advised to reconsider their need to travel to.

While Baja California is not one of them, it is if you ask the US. The nation advises people reconsider travel to the state “due to crime and kidnapping” – but it still remains popular with American tourists.

State prosecutors running a search at the site where the three surfers were camping before disappearing. Picture: Guillermo Arias / AFP

Tijuana, a US tourist hotspot, is just over the border from California. Further south is Ensenada where Mexicans marched on the weekend for safer beaches following the three foreign surfers’ murders.

Pictures showed protesters carrying surfboards with messages that can be translated to, “Australia we are with you,” “No more death,” “I don’t want to die,” and “Beaches, safety, freedom, peace.”

Members of the surfing community in Ensenada, Baja California protest for safety. Picture: Guillermo Arias / AFP

Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states because of organised crime gangs, although cartel activity doesn’t commonly affect foreign tourists, AFP reports.

Criminal violence in Mexico has claimed 450,000 lives and led to more than 100,000 disappearances since the end of 2006, when the government launched a controversial anti-drug strategy involving the military.

Signs read “Australia we are with you” and “No more death”. Picture: Guillermo Arias / AFP

Over the other side of the Gulf of California, Australian surfers Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were killed in 2015.

That tragic case has eerie similarities. Two West Australian surfers, both 33, missing in Mexico and their van found burnt-out.

According to state prosecutors, the van was intercepted by a gang driving a car that flashed police-like lights. Mr Coleman was shot in the face when he tried to resist. The robbers then killed Mr Lucas, drove their vehicle to another location and set it on fire.

Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were killed in Sinaloa, across The Gulf of California. Picture: Google Maps

Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were believed to have been shot during an attempt to steal their ute, according to officials. The vehicle, which had been burned, was found nearby.

Their bodies were found in a well near the town of Santo Thomas, about 45 kilometres southeast of Ensenada, and identified by family who flew to Mexico.

The bodies of Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were found in a well. Picture: Guillermo Arias / AFP

Local officials believe there could be drug cartels or other organised crime involved.

“They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tyres and other parts to put them on the older-model pick-up they were driving,” Baja California Attorney-General Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez said.

“When they (the victims) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted.

“And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too.”

The friends had previously visited Mexico several times without any problem, Ms Andrade Ramírez said.

Three suspects, two men and one woman, have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the case, according to Mexican prosecutors. One of those arrested has a history of violence, drug dealing and robbery, officials said.