Lisbeth Diaz
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican authorities have found three bodies in Baja California state where a U.S. tourist and two Australian tourists were reported missing, the local prosecutor’s office said in a statement late on Friday.
The Baja California Prosecutor’s Office previously announced that 33-year-old Australian brothers Callum, 30-year-old Jack Robinson and 30-year-old American Carter Rod were last seen on April 27. The missing American was identified as Jack Carter Rhoad.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the state laboratory will conduct forensic tests on the remains to provide a positive identification.
Investigators continue to search for more evidence in the rugged area where the bodies were found, the statement added.
The three men were on a surfing vacation near the popular tourist town of Ensenada, about 90 minutes’ drive south of the U.S.-Mexico border.
On Thursday, state prosecutor Socorro Ibarra said three people were being investigated in connection with the case. Her office noted Friday that an arrest warrant had been obtained for enforced disappearance.
Tents were found in the area where the missing people were last seen, Ibarra said, adding that they were not officially reported missing until several days after they were actually missing.
A burned white pickup truck was also found in the area, authorities said.
Baja California is one of the most violent states in Mexico, although the Ensenada area is considered safer. The U.S. State Department is advising Americans to reconsider traveling to the state due to crime and kidnappings.
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Asked about the discovery of the body, a State Department spokesman said: “We are aware of these reports and are monitoring the situation closely.”
A spokesman for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs said their embassy in Mexico was working closely with Mexican authorities and the Australian Federal Police.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recognizes this is an extremely distressing time for the family and is in regular contact with them to offer support.”
