Authorities in Mexico have arrested several people in connection with the mysterious disappearance of a trio of foreign tourists—including an American—who vanished in Baja California last week.
U.S. national Jack Carter Rhoad and Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson have not been seen since April 27, according to the Robinson family. The Baja California prosecutor’s office says the group were then reported missing two days later.
The three were on a surfing trip close to the municipality of Ensenada around 60 miles south of Tijuana, Reuters reports. Mexican authorities say tents, a vehicle, and a cell phone have since been found during a search in an area where the group were last seen.
“At this moment a team of investigators is in the location where it seems they were seen for the last time, where tents were found along with some evidence that could be related to these three people included in the investigation,” Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez, Baja California’s chief public prosecutor, told a news conference Thursday, according to CNN.
She also confirmed that a woman and two men are being questioned in connection with the case. According to Australia’s ABC News, Mexican police said the tourists’ burnt-out car was found on a ranch south of Ensenada and that two men were arrested. That followed an earlier arrest of a 23-year-old woman who was found to be in possession of a phone belonging to one of the Australian brothers, the network reports.
All three of the people detained had drugs in their possession at the time they were apprehended, according to the ABC. The two arrested men are brothers, one of whom is in a romantic relationship with the arrested woman, police said.
In a Facebook post, the mother of the Australians says the group were due to check into an Airbnb in Rosarito after a camping weekend but “they did not show up.” “Callum is a type one diabetic so there is also a medical concern,” she added, calling for anyone to contact her if they have information about the “very dire” situation.
Speaking to 7News, the parents of 33-year-old Callum and 30-year-old Jake said the pair, from Perth, had attended Coachella a week before they crossed the border into Mexico. Callum, a member of Australia’s national lacrosse team, lives in San Diego—his parents said Jake had left Australia two weeks ago to join his brother for “a trip of a lifetime.”
“This is a really concerning situation,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Friday. “We certainly hope that these brothers are found safely but there is real concern about the fact that they’ve gone missing. Their mother is obviously very distressed about this and we just hope for a positive outcome.”
