A daylong search for three missing tourists near a surf town near the US-Mexico border continued on Friday as authorities said they found three bodies.
Two Australian brothers and their friend, an American citizen, were on a beach surfing and camping vacation near the Mexican city of Ensenada when they disappeared on Saturday.
The state Attorney General, María Elena Andrade Ramírez, said in a press conference on Thursday that prosecutors were investigating three people in connection with the case but that crucial moment had passed since the three men were killed. he went missing.
“Unfortunately, it was not until the last few days that they were reported missing,” Ms. Andrade Ramírez told reporters. “So, that means important hours or time were lost.”
A U.S. State Department spokesman said 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 Santo Tomás but did not specify whether they were guests. missing travel or not.
“We are evaluating each tip,” Ms. Boyd said. “If credible, we will pursue those leads rigorously.”
In 2022, 192 US citizens died in Mexico, State Department data shows, but most of those deaths are due to accidents or suicide. Only 46 cases were classified as murders.
The big waves of Baja California have long attracted crowds of surfers and tourists, many of whom have deal with rising crime rates for nearly two decades.
However, record levels of violence have occurred in the state in recent years. Government data shows that Baja California is now first in car thefts and second in murders, most of which are related to drug trafficking or organized crime, Mexican Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. said this year.
An official familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said a white pickup truck carrying missing tourists was found charred near La Bocana beach in Santo Tomás. Other belongings and evidence are also being analyzed, the official added.
According to the latest figures provided by Mexican officials in March, the rapid effort to find tourists was a rare exception in a country where nearly 100,000 people remained missing.
The majority of cases remain unresolved. Family members and volunteers are left alone to follow up on leads, but the presence of corporations and lack of support from authorities makes Looking for a dangerous mission.
