A Mexican criminal court in Ensenada convicted three men of premeditated murder on Friday (9) for the 2024 killings of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and American Carter Rhoad. The decision delivered by Judge Raúl Hernández concluded a four-week trial that prosecuted the ambush and execution of the three foreign tourists during a coastal camping trip in the state of Baja California.
Defendants Jesús Gerardo García Cota, known as El Kekas, Irineo Francisco García Montaño, and Ángel Jesús León Aguilera were found guilty of aggravated premeditated homicide, violent robbery, and vehicle theft. Judicial findings established that García Cota led the assault, which targeted the visitors to steal the tires and parts from their pickup truck before the assailants shot all three men in the head and discarded their bodies.
Ambush in Punta San Jose and recovery of the victims
Jake Robinson, 30, Callum Robinson, 33, and Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were last seen alive on April 27, 2024, while camping and surfing near Punta San José, a remote coastal section south of Ensenada. When the group failed to arrive at prearranged accommodations, relatives raised the alarm, prompting an international search operation supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police across Baja California.
Check out: Mexican court begins trial for three accused in 2024 killings of Australian brothers and US friend
Investigators discovered the bodies of the three tourists on May 3, 2024, hidden at the bottom of a cliffside water well measuring several meters in depth. Forensic examinations confirmed that each victim sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head at close range before being dumped into the shaft alongside burnt vehicle remnants. The case brought widespread scrutiny to visitor safety in regional Mexico, drawing comparisons to the 2015 murders of Australian surfers Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman in the state of Sinaloa.
Families confront the killers in the Ensenada courtroom
Martin and Debra Robinson traveled from Perth, Australia, to attend the trial in Ensenada, which commenced on September 7, 2026. Debra Robinson addressed the bench during the closing phase of the hearings before breaking down in tears as the guilty findings were announced, recounting the cruelty inflicted on her sons during their final moments. Outside the courthouse, Martin Robinson acknowledged the verdict as an essential step toward accountability, explaining that no judicial decision could ever undo the tragedy or bring their sons back.
Carter Rhoad’s mother, Page Rhoad, and his fiancée, Natalie Weirtz, monitored the closing session by videoconference from the United States. Weirtz told the court that the defendants required strict punishment to prevent another family from experiencing equivalent devastation, describing severe emotional isolation since the loss of Carter. The Robinson family announced plans to maintain the Callum and Jake Robinson Foundation to honor the memory of the two brothers.
Legal penalties and the October 16 sentencing hearing in Ensenada
Judge Raúl Hernández scheduled the individual sentencing hearing for Friday (16). While state prosecutors submitted formal requests for severe penalties ranging between 150 and 210 years of imprisonment for each defendant, the criminal code of Baja California establishes an absolute statutory limit of 60 years of incarceration for any offender.
The convictions follow earlier proceedings against Ari Gisell Silva Raya, a former partner of García Cota who was arrested shortly after the disappearances in possession of property belonging to the victims. Silva Raya received a prison term in November 2025 after entering an abbreviated legal procedure for her role in instigating the armed robbery. The three convicted men remain held in judicial custody pending the formal announcement of their respective prison terms on October 16, 2026.
