(NewsNation) — The arrests of suspects in the killings of three surfers in Mexico last month reportedly happened with help from an unusual source: the Sinaloa drug cartel.
According to The Daily Beast, the people who tried to rob the surfers but ended up killing them were not part of the cartel, but low-level robbers acting alone.
“We learned that the cops were looking for the gringos and also began looking for those who were responsible. We called the authorities to let them know where to find them,” an anonymous cartel member told the website.
American Jack Carter Rhode and Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson were reported missing on April 27 during a surfing trip near Ensenada, on Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Police found their bodies a few days later, each one the victim of a gunshot to the head.
The Baja California Attorney General’s Office says it has charged Jesús Gerardo “N”, also known as “El Kekas,” with the crime of forced disappearance.
According to the suspect’s girlfriend, he confessed to her that he had killed the three men. Two other suspects have also been arrested.
Authorities say the three men were ambushed by “El Kekas” and his accomplices, who intended to steal their vehicle. When the suspects pulled out guns, the victims tried to de-escalate the situation, but the suspects ultimately shot and killed them, according to police.
The Daily Beast also quotes the cartel member as saying its leaders turned over the suspects because they didn’t want “unwanted attention” from Mexican authorities.
