TIJUANA.- Relatives of three surfers, two Australian and one American, began the process to identify the bodies found in Mexico, which it is suspected could belong to their loved ones. According to the prosecutor’s office of the state of Baja California (northwest), the bodies show signs of having been hit by gunshots to the head.
Maria Elena Andrade, state prosecutor, shared during a press conference that the relatives arrived from the United States and appeared before the Mexican authorities to collaborate in the identification of the bodies. In addition, he pointed out that there are “very high possibilities” that the bodies correspond to Australian surfers. Jake y Callum Robinsonas well as his American friend Jack Carter.
Andrade indicated that the physical condition of the bodies could facilitate a quick and accurate identification, pledging to provide additional details through an official statement in the near future.
The three surfers disappeared on April 27 at a spa in the municipality of Ensenada, a popular tourist destination. On Friday, authorities found three bodies on a cliff, matching the physical descriptions of the young people.
“They all have a hole produced by a firearm projectile in the head,” Andrade explained, suggesting that the motive for the crime could have been the theft of the vehicle in which the surfers were apparently traveling. The truck was found in the area and it was confirmed that it had been set on fire.
So far, three people, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with this case, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The Australian government expressed its concern about this unfortunate incident, while the surfers’ relatives launched a search through social networks and the media in Australia.
According to family stories, the surfers had already visited Mexico on previous occasions.
This tragic event occurs in a context of criminal violence in Mexico, which has left more than 450,000 dead and more than 100,000 missing since the end of 2006, when the federal government launched a military anti-drug operation.
Source: With information from AFP
