Picture courtesy of Instagram@Callum10Robinson

 

A woman, Ari Gisell, 23, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the murders of three tourists during a carjacking in Mexico last year. This devastating incident led to the death of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, along with their American friend Carter Rhoad, while on a surfing trip in Baja California. Their bodies were found in a well with gunshot wounds, sealing a tragic end to their adventure.

 

Gisell pleaded guilty to instigating the assault, reportedly showing interest in the tyres on the surfers' vehicle. She instructed her then-boyfriend, Jesús Gerardo, to provide her with a good phone and tyres, which led to the fatal attack. Gerardo, along with two accomplices, followed the surfers to their campsite, where the robbery and murders took place. Though still in court, these accomplices are believed to have connections with the Sinaloa cartel, notorious for its links to drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

 

Despite these alleged connections, authorities have stated there is no organised crime involvement in the murders. The victims’ families delivered heartrending statements during the court proceedings, expressing the profound loss they have suffered. Callum and Jake’s mother, Debra Robinson, shared their dreams of seeing her sons grow older, a hope now tragically shattered.

 

Callum Robinson was part of Australia's national lacrosse team and lived in San Diego. Jake, who resided in Australia, was visiting Callum and was poised to begin a medical career. Their friend Carter Rhoad worked in a tech company and was about to marry his fiancée. Ari Gisell offered a tearful apology in court, accepting responsibility for her actions but acknowledging that nothing could bring peace to the grieving families.

 

Looking forward, the cases against Gerardo and his two accomplices are ongoing. Held in separate facilities, the men await their fate. This grim episode reinforces concerns about safety and crime in the area, sparking discussions on how such tragedies might be prevented in the future, reported the BBC.

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Ari Gisell sentenced to 20 years for involvement in tourist murders.
• Alleged connections to the Sinaloa cartel; cases ongoing.
• Heartfelt testimony from victims’ families during court proceedings.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-11-21

 

 

 

This reinforces the mistaken idea that México is an unsafe destination. It is not, in fact, it's a diverse and scenic country. Murders are murders, can happen anywhere. Far less violence in México than the US, including all the gangster killings.

17 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Far less violence in México than the US, including all the gangster killings.

Your statement holds the same level of credibility as that of Jesús Gerardo and Ari Gisell.

Taking a nice truck into a remote sketchy area (reports of meth labs) they were camping at is a bad idea. Day surfing trip ok but not camping/sleeping there . Should have gone back up to hotel in Rosarito Beach where they were based at on the surfing trip .

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Jesús Gerardo

 

I thought Jesus was a 'turn the other cheek' kind of guy.

 

If you're at the wrong place at the wrong time anywhere in the world, it's lights out.

 

Wow we,s snagged a thumbs down fetishes person on this topic ? Strange and stranger.

23 hours ago, webfact said:

Gisell pleaded guilty to instigating the assault, reportedly showing interest in the tyres on the surfers' vehicle. She instructed her then-boyfriend, Jesús Gerardo, to provide her with a good phone and tyres, which led to the fatal attack.

 

Wonder if she's 100% in the head?

 

I remember this story years ago but i remember reading burned (alive?) in van

On 11/21/2025 at 2:02 PM, unblocktheplanet said:

This reinforces the mistaken idea that México is an unsafe destination. It is not, in fact, it's a diverse and scenic country. Murders are murders, can happen anywhere. Far less violence in México than the US, including all the gangster killings.

Mexico's murder rate is about 4-5 times higher than the US, fueled by cartel conflicts in states like Guanajuato and Baja California. In contrast, U.S. murders are more concentrated in urban areas but overall lower due to stronger law enforcement and fewer organized crime wars.

Global context: The worldwide average is ~5.8 per 100,000, putting the U.S. near the median and Mexico in the top tier of dangerous countries.

 

Mexico is also more dangerous overall for violent crime (including murder, assault, robbery, and rape), though the U.S. has a higher reported rate in some metrics due to better crime reporting systems. Underreporting is a major issue in Mexico, so official figures likely underestimate the true risk.

 

In summary, Mexico is more dangerous for both murder and violent crime, especially if traveling outside tourist zones

5 hours ago, sikishrory said:

I remember this story years ago but i remember reading burned (alive?) in van

 

Years ago ?

 

This happened April last year.

 

Your thinking of Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman.

14 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Years ago ?

 

This happened April last year.

 

Your thinking of Dean Lucas and Adam Coleman.

Yeh you're right. Thanks for clearing that up. Kind of similar story at a glance. 

On 11/22/2025 at 5:34 AM, save the frogs said:

 

 

 

If you're at the wrong place at the wrong time anywhere in the world, it's lights out.

 

The situation is more complicated than that.  When this happened I dialed into some surfing discussion forums: This area was known as a transshipment corridor for meth going North to the states. Along the coast by boats ( with boat ramps) and land to avoid checkpoints on the main North /South Hwy. And also with meth labs. Some of the surfers said they just stopped going into this area because of how sketchy and vulnerable it was.  

 

On 11/21/2025 at 8:02 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

This reinforces the mistaken idea that México is an unsafe destination. It is not, in fact, it's a diverse and scenic country. Murders are murders, can happen anywhere. Far less violence in México than the US, including all the gangster killings.

Yes, the crime rate overall is higher in the US, but Mexico does have a higher murder rate. 

On 11/21/2025 at 8:23 AM, nick supreme said:

Your statement holds the same level of credibility as that of Jesús Gerardo and Ari Gisell.

A quick Google search will tell you that the crime rate in the US is indeed higher than the one in Mexico, but Mexico does have a higher murder rate than the US. 

14 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

A quick Google search will tell you that the crime rate in the US is indeed higher than the one in Mexico, but Mexico does have a higher murder rate than the US. 

 

 

Perhaps they catch more felons in the USA

Have to be careful with Mexican women they’re worse than the ones over here 

13 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

A quick Google search will tell you that the crime rate in the US is indeed higher than the one in Mexico, but Mexico does have a higher murder rate than the US. 

 

Murder rate is unreliable. It's mostly gangsters killing other gangsters. Getting caught in the crossfire is unlikely.