‘Doesn’t add up’: Narrative about Aussie surfers murdered in Mexico questioned

The Mexican police’s version of events as to what led to the murder of two Aussie brothers and their American friend appears shady to those who know the area.

The Mexican police’s version of events as to what led to the murder of Australian brothers and their American friend has been questioned by a local security expert.

Perth brothers Jake, 30, and Callum Robinson, 33, and their American Jack Carter Rhoad, 30 were killed after a robbery gone wrong.

“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.”

‘Doesn’t add up’

However, those knowledgeable with the area claim the story “doesn’t add up” and the trio may have been killed by cartel members looking for a rival gang.

Baja California is currently in the midst of a drug war.

“Basically, the reasoning of them being carjack victims gone wrong makes very little sense,” a source who does private security work in Mexico told the New York Post.

The source described the situation as “deeply disturbing”, adding they were wary of the police’s version of events.

“These surfers were well travelled and would most likely know better than to try to fend off a truck jacking.

“My guess is they were mistakenly identified as a rival criminal organisation and murdered. “That being exposed would create an ongoing investigation that no cartel wants to deal with and would create a devastating impact on tourism in the area,” which is popular with surfers and visitors from the US, the source explained.

Perth brothers Callum Robinson, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed in a bungled robbery. Picture: Instagram

Jack Carter Rhoad and the brothers were camping at San Miguel beach in the Mexican state of Baja California when things took a horrific turn.

Jesús Gerardo Garcia Cota, his partner Ari Gisel García Cota, and brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia have been arrested but haven’t been charged with murder at this stage.

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.”

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.

According to the New York Post, cartels in the area are known to pay off police to keep their names out of their investigations.

In December, enraged drug lords began a hunt for corrupt police officers who stole a drug shipment 12 months earlier.

Civilians in Tijuana were warned they could be attacked if they were caught outside as “roaming bands of criminals” set fire to cars an businesses in protest of the imprisonment of their fellow gang members

Callum and Jake Robinson pictured with parents Martin and Debra, who broke their silence this week to say ‘the world has become a darker place for us’.

Heritage Foundation Latin America expert Andres Martinez-Fernandez said corruption could easily be at play with the surfers.

“The case is highly unusual, as presented by Mexican police, who say the supposed robbery was done by small-time criminals who ended up destroying the vehicle they were allegedly trying to steal,” he told the publication.

“Given the deep and widespread corruption in the Mexican police, it hard to dismiss the possibility of a cover-up, potentially to shift blame away from a powerful drug cartel.

“This would certainly align with the Mexican government’s efforts to downplay the severity of cartel violence in Mexico,” he added.

In the case of the three surfers, it’s believed the suspects burned their tents and dumped their bodies in a 15m deep well 640km from the murder scene.

The thieves then covered the well with boards.

Burned truck of the three surfers killed in Mexico.

Over the other side of the Gulf of California, Australian surfers Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were killed in 2015, with their story an eerie similarity to that of the Perth brothers and their American friend.

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.

Canadian Malcom Madsen, 68, was another foreigner to go missing in Mexico. He was in Puerta Vallarta in 2018, when he was kidnapped and ultimately killed, although his body has never been found, the New York Post reported.

American Jesse Atkinson, owner of Ensenada Excursions and Tours, told The Post, that the area the three surfers camped at is “a remote area of Ensanada where bad things happen and nobody is there to see it”.

Ari Gisel García Cota, 23, has been arrested but not yet charged with murder.

He noted they group had camped in Santo Tomás, a small village roughly 45km outside of the city, when they were killed.

“There’s a lot of places to camp and surf and do stuff, which is amazing, but also there’s not a lot of people out there, so when bad things happen there’s nobody to notice,” Atkinson told the New York Post.

“The drug cartels are active, you’re not going to run into guys with guns on their shoulders [the Mexican federal police].”

Brothers Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota and Cristian Alejandro Garci­awere were also arrested in the suspicious deaths of the surfers.

The details of the surfers’ killings are still being investigated by both US authorities and officials in Mexico, a State Department spokesperson told the New York Post.

“The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lamented the “tragic” deaths of Jake, Callum and their friend Jack, praising the trio of “wonderful young men.

“This is a tragic incident, and to all of the family and the friends of these young Australians, I think the whole of Australia’s thoughts are with you at this difficult time,” Mr Albanese said.

Their bodies were formally identified by relatives on Sunday in Mexico. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement to AFP that she was “heartbroken” for the Robinson family.

“Our embassy in Mexico continues to work with the Australian Federal Police and local authorities,” she said.

“My heart is shattered.”

The parents of Jake and Callum have since broken their silence. Martin and Debra Robinson broke down in tears as they spoke from San Diego, California, on Tuesday (local time), where they shared their heartbreak over their son’s deaths.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been murdered,” Ms Robinson said.

“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us.

“We also mourn the loss of Carter Rhoad, a close friend.

“They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together.

“Now it’s time to bring ... them home to family and friends - and the ocean waves in Australia. Please live bigger, shine brighter and love harder in their memory.”

She said thanked those who had offered their condolances and said they had been “overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotions and support”.

– with Chantelle Francis and the New York Post