A Mexican judge handed three men prison terms exceeding 158 years each for the 2024 beach killings of two Australian brothers and their American surfing companion.
Jesús Gerardo García, known as “el Kekas,” Irineo Francisco “N,” and Ángel Jesús “N,” all received sentences of 158 years and nine months on Friday in Ensenada, Baja California, a week after their convictions. The judge found them guilty of murder, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft with violence in the deaths of Australians Callum and Jake Robinson, and American Carter Redd Rhoad.
Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers’ association, welcomed the outcome. “Justice has been served,” he said. He added that the killings had caused a “major drop” in tourist visits, particularly by surfers, to the region known for its beautiful beaches.
The sentencing capped a legal process that began when the three friends’ bodies were discovered on May 3, 2024, after several days of searching. They had been dumped into a well more than 50 feet deep. At least four people were arrested for alleged involvement in the crime.
The Robinson brothers and Rhoad had traveled to Mexico in late April 2024 to surf at Punta San José, about 50 miles from Ensenada. They camped on the beach the night of April 27, unaware of the risks. Their attackers confronted them there and shot them dead in the early morning hours.
State prosecutor María Elena Andrade alleged the attackers wanted to steal the tires from the foreigners’ pickup truck and that the victims resisted.
“The attackers pull out a gun they were carrying and kill the person who initially resisted the robbery, then turn on the other two,” she added.
The Baja California prosecutor’s office announced García’s arrest on May 5, 2024, identifying him as the suspected gunman. State authorities said he had a criminal history in Ensenada involving alleged drug dealing, unlawful entry into a home, domestic violence, and vehicle theft.
García’s former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, and alleged accomplices Irineo Francisco “N” and Ángel Jesús “N” were also arrested. Silva Raya, whom authorities found in possession of a cellphone belonging to one of the victims, took an abbreviated trial and received a 20-year sentence in November for aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
The case drew international attention and tarnished Mexico’s image by exposing the dangers foreigners face in a tourism-dependent country. The beach killings highlighted security gaps in Baja California’s popular surf spots, where visitors had previously felt relatively safe.