crime
Three surfers missing in Mexico – arrested after bodies found
In the case of the three missing foreign surfers, an arrest warrant has been executed against a suspect. He is accused of making the three men disappear. photo
© Karen Castaneda/AP/dpa
Two brothers from Australia and their American boyfriend disappear while on a surfing vacation in Mexico. Bodies are discovered in the area – it is still unclear whether they are the surfers.
On Friday, four bodies were discovered in a well around 15 meters deep. Three of them, with gunshot wounds in the head, have a high probability of being the missing people. Because of the advanced decomposition of the bodies, they would have to be identified by relatives or by genetic analysis. The fourth body is probably not related to the case.
Presumably surprised while camping
Two Australian brothers and an American, aged between 30 and 33 according to media reports, were surfing in Mexico’s northwest. They were last seen on April 27th south of the city of Ensenada on the Pacific coast.
According to Baja California Attorney General María Elena Andrade, investigators suspect that the three tourists were surprised by criminals while camping in a remote location. The surfers allegedly defended themselves against the robbery of their SUV and were shot. The car was therefore found burned. Yesterday, dozens of surfers demonstrated in Ensenada for greater safety.
For years, Mexico’s population has suffered from widespread violent crime against the background of the so-called drug war. Heavily armed cartels control parts of the North American country, fighting with each other for areas of influence and smuggling routes for drugs and migrants. The crimes, in which security forces or politicians are sometimes involved, are rarely solved. Around 100,000 people are believed to have disappeared in Mexico.