Bodies of ‘murdered’ Australian brothers arrive in US set to return home

The bodies of slain Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson have crossed the US border from Mexico as their devastated parents prepare to bring them back home to Australia.

The brothers and their friend Jack Rhoad are alleged to have been robbed for their car tyres and murdered while they were camping in the Ensenada region in Mexico.

They had been on a surfing trip and were last seen alive on April 27.

Callum and Jake’s parents Martin and Debra Robinson have travelled to the other side of the world after their sons’ bodies were recovered from a 15m-deep well in the La Bocana, Santo Tomas district.

Callum, 33, Jake, 30, and Mr Rhoad, 30, were killed while camping in the Punta San Hose region in Santo Tomas.

Authorities confirmed the trio were killed after they tried to de-escalate the situation when the robbers ambushed them to steal the pick-up truck they were driving.

They were each shot in the head in an ordeal Mexican authorities are describing as a bungled robbery, where the brothers and their mate fought against their alleged killer.

The boys’ parents were waiting for their bodies to arrive at a funeral home in San Diego on Friday night after crossing the US border as they prepare to transport them back to Perth.

A member of the Sinaloa cartel has since claimed the men accused of carrying out the bungled robbery — Jesus Gerardo Garcia Cota and his brother Cristian Alejandro Garcia — were not part of the criminal organisation.

Drag marks, bullets and teeth have been found at the surfers’ campsite and their ute was later found burnt-out nearby, reportedly with a firearm inside it.

A fourth body was also found in the well, which is believed to be the property owner who went missing several weeks earlier.

In an Ensenada court, prosecutors claimed that Jesus had driven his girlfriend’s car to the area where the Robinsons and Mr Rhoad were camping sometime between the afternoon of Saturday, April 27, and Sunday morning, ambushing the trio.

The girlfriend of one of the killers — Ari Gisel Garcia Cota — was first arrested by authorities after she was found in possession of one of their mobile phones.

Her partner Jesus and his brother Cristian were arrested soon after.

Jesus has been charged with forced kidnapping, which is expected to be upgraded to murder.

He will remain in custody until November when he is next due to appear in court.

Prosecutors told the Mexican court that Jesus returned to the home and told his girlfriend: “I f**ked up three gringos.”

She asked: “What do you mean by that?”.

Jesus declared: “I killed them.”

The court was told that Jesus then showed her the new tyres he had put on her car.

It is claimed Ari then left her home and fled to her mother’s house, where she was later arrested by authorities.

She then revealed what she knew about the disappearance of the men and has since been described as a key witness in the case, who is assisting authorities.

The Attorney-General said investigators were confident more than three people were involved in the attack and had not ruled out the possibility of more people being charged.