Mexican authorities say there is a “very, very high probability” the three bodies found in the hunt for two missing Aussie brothers and their American friend are the men – with the bodies found 10m down a well.
Brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and American Jack Carter Rhoad have been missing since April 27 after they failed to return from a camping trip in the Baja California region, near Ensenada.
Officials are waiting for DNA results, with the parents of the brothers Martin and Debra Robinson on their way to Mexico from Perth.
“I’m saying it’s a very, very high probability that it is them,” Baja California’s chief prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez told 9News.
“They were in a state of decomposition. That is why we have to run the genetic tests,” Ramírez said.
Meanwhile, one of the three Mexican people arrested in connected to the trio’s disappearance has been named as 23-year-old Ari Gase.
She was found in possession of one of the missing men’s mobile phones.
It’s understood she turned the phone on, which caused it to ping a local cell tower and allowed authorities to track her down.
Surfers in the area told 9News they had seen increased drug-running activity on the beaches by the cartels but they couldn’t speak on camera for fear of retribution.
9News understands that three bodies were found on a cliff by the ocean, about 2km away from what is believed to be the men’s campsite.
It’s understood the fourth body was found deeper down the well and had been there longer.
“The Mexican authorities running the search say that is the last place they were seen,” the Santo Tomas police commander told 9News.
9News’ Alison Piotrowski travelled to the site today, and described the road nearby the campsite as “very treacherous”.
Three abandoned tents were also discovered along with the remains of a campfire.
“There was a very heavy police presence and an army presence. There were at least 100 soldiers and officers there,” Piotrowski said.
“None of them were authorised to confirm whether or not it is the bodies of the three men.”
Mexican authorities told 9News that once they have retrieved the bodies and transported them back into town, they will provide media with an update.
