Three surfers from Australia and the United States who went missing in Mexico have been found dead, authorities confirmed on Monday.
The bodies of the three surfers – two Australian brothers and their friend from the US, all aged between 30 and 33 years old – were reportedly recovered from a well around 15 metres deep near Ensenada in the western Mexican state of Baja California.
The governor of the region, Marina del Pilar, said the families of the three men had identified the bodies on Sunday. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case, according to the local public prosecutor’s office.
The three surfers were last seen on April 27 south of the Pacific city of Ensenada close to the US border.
Attorney General of Baja California María Elena Andrade Ramírez said investigators suspect the men were surprised by robbers while camping in a remote location.
Andrade Ramírez said the arrests include a man, only named as Jesus Gerardo N alias ‘El Kekas.’ Two other people already in custody for fe
deral crimes may also be directly or indirectly involved.
The surfers are believed to have attempted to defend themselves and were killed with gunshots to the head. Their car was found burnt nearby.
A fourth body discovered in the well was believed to be unrelated to the case, prosecutors said.
The surfing community in Ensenada held a demonstration on Sunday to call for protection against violence.
Mexico’s population has been suffering from widespread violent crime for years. Heavily armed cartels control parts of the country, fighting for areas of influence and smuggling routes for drugs and migrants.
Around 100,000 have been reported missing in Mexico in recent years. Many gang-related crimes, in which local politicians and military forces are sometimes implicated, are rarely solved.
Source: Ghana News Agency