The search for three missing tourists who disappeared near a surf town near the U.S.-Mexico border continued on Friday, with authorities saying three bodies had been recovered.
Two Australian brothers and their U.S. citizen friend were on vacation surfing and camping on the coast near the Mexican city of Ensenada when they disappeared on Saturday.
The state’s Attorney General, Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, said at a news conference on Thursday that prosecutors were investigating three people in connection with the case, but since the three disappeared, The critical moment has passed.
“Unfortunately, they were not reported missing until the last few days,” Ms. Andrade Ramirez told reporters. “So, that means important time or time is wasted.”
A U.S. State Department spokesman said on Friday that authorities were aware of reports of a missing U.S. citizen in Baja California, but declined to provide further details.
Kira Boyd, public affairs officer for the FBI’s San Diego field office, confirmed in an email that three people were found dead near the town of St. Thomas but did not specify whether they were missing tourists.
“We are evaluating every tip,” Ms. Boyd said. “If credible, we will pursue these leads rigorously.”
According to the U.S. State Department, 192 U.S. citizens died in Mexico in 2022, but most of the deaths were accidental or suicide. Only 46 were ruled homicides.
Baja California’s big waves have long attracted crowds of surfers and tourists, many of whom have been dealing with rising crime rates for nearly two decades.
But violence in the state has reached record levels in recent years. Mexican Defense Minister Luis Crescencio Sandoval said this year that government data showed Baja California now ranks first in vehicle thefts and second in homicides, most of which are related to the drug trade or organized crime. Crime related.
A white pickup truck in which the missing tourists were traveling was found charred near La Bocana Beach in St. Thomas, said an official familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly. Other items and evidence are also being analyzed, the official added.
The rapid search for tourists is a rare exception in a country where nearly 100,000 people are still missing, according to the latest statistics provided by Mexican officials in March.
Most cases remain unresolved. Family members and volunteers are left alone to follow the leads, but the presence of cartels and a lack of support from authorities makes the search a dangerous undertaking.
