The robbers who killed two Australian brothers and their American friend on a surfing trip in Mexico were handed over to police by the Sinaloa Cartel, a member of the feared criminal organisation has claimed.
The city of Ensenada, near where the murders occurred, is under the control of a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Speaking to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity, a member of the group said the robbers were not part of the cartel.
“They were low-level robbers acting alone,” he said.
“But we handed them over. We learned that the cops were looking for the gringos and also began looking for those who were responsible. We called the authorities to let them know where to find them.”
The cartel member added that the group was afraid of “unwanted attention” from Mexican authorities.
Callum Robinson, 33, Jake Robinson, 30, and Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, were killed in what Mexican police have characterised as a bungled robbery while they were camping at San Miguel beach, in the Baja California region, after locals attempted to steal the pick-up truck they were driving.
The group were reported missing on April 27 when they failed to turn up at an Airbnb they had booked. Their bodies were discovered on the weekend, each shot in the head and stuffed down a 15-metre well hidden on a cliff in a desolate section of Santo Tomas, about seven kilometres from where they were killed.
The alleged ringleader, Jesús Gerardo, also known as “El Kekas”, was arrested earlier this week along with his former partner Ari Gisell and his brother Cristian Alejandro.
Their surnames have been suppressed according to local laws.
Jesús Gerardo has been charged with “forced disappearance”. He has not yet entered a plea and the charges are expected to be upgraded to murder in coming days.
Ari Gisell and Cristian Alejandro have only been charged with drug possession.
The woman has since become a key prosecution witness against Jesús Gerardo, telling the court on Thursday that he told her “I killed them” before handing her a mobile phone and taking her outside to show her the new tyres on her car allegedly stolen from the victims’ truck, the ABC reported.
Prosecutors believe others were involved and have indicated further charges will be laid over the killings.
“The judge did say that he can’t understand how one sole person could have done this, essentially kidnap and kill three men and take their tyres, it seems like too much,” Nine News correspondent Alison Piotrowski said after Wednesday’s hearing.
“He suggested that the prosecution needed to look into more suspects, that they needed to broaden their investigation because it couldn’t have been done by one man alone.”
Speaking to The Daily Beast, a Baja California investigator said the tourists were killed after trying to de-escalate a confrontation with the robbers who wanted to steal their truck.
They were leaving the campsite when a group of men showed up to talk to them and demanded the truck they were driving.
“The tourists refused and tried to fight back, but the robbers were armed,” the investigator said. “When the criminals took out their guns the three [tourists] tried to de-escalate things, but it was too late, they beat the three of them and then shot them in the head.”
Mexican investigators contacted US authorities in San Diego and obtained the men’s mobile phone numbers.
“We tracked down the devices, until one of them was turned on and we had a location,” the investigator said. “That’s when we found this woman who was in possession of the American’s cellphone.”
Earlier this week the parents of Callum and Jake gave a heartbreaking statement from San Diego, California.
Martin and Debra Robinson broke down in tears as they spoke of their sons after travelling to Ensenada to identify the bodies.
“Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us,” Ms Robinson said.
“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 condolences and said they had been “overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotions and support”.
“We have always been very proud of their academic and sporting achievements and admired their life choices as,” she said.
She spoke of Callum’s “larger than life character” and his sporting achievement, playing professional lacrosse in America.
She described Jake as a “happy, gentle and compassionate soul” who was pursuing a career in medicine.
“Jake’s passion was surfing and it was no coincidence that many of his hospitals that he worked in were close to a surfing beaches,” she said.