Dark Turn in Case of Missing American, Australian Tourists: Bodies Found Near Where They Disappeared

Three bodies have been found in Mexico near where three tourists had been reported missing, according to Reuters , which cited a local prosecutor’s office in the Mexican state of Baja California. The bodies will undergo…

IJR SyndicatedMay 4, 20243 min read

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of forced disappearance.”

It was unclear whether the warrants were for the three individuals being investigated, or for others. It was also unclear whether the three mentioned were suspects or merely witnesses.

The three being investigated are citizens of Mexico, according to The U.K.’s Telegraph, one of whom had in her possession drugs as well as cellphone with an image of the three missing men as its wallpaper.

Reuters said that even though Baja California is considered “one of Mexico’s most violent states,” the area around Ensenada is generally considered safer.

The U.S. State Department in August issued a travel advisory listing six Mexican states under the category of “Do Not Travel To,” but Baja California is listed under the next category, “Reconsider Travel To,” because of the levels of “Crime and kidnapping” in the state.

“We are aware of those reports and are closely monitoring the situation,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters when asked about the three bodies found in Baja California.

The three men had made a number of social media posts during their trip, but those stopped on April 27, according to the Post. They were also scheduled to show up at an Airbnb that day, but never arrived.

“There is a lot of important information that we can’t make public,” Baja California’s chief prosecutor María Elena Andrade Ramírez said, according to the Post.

“Baja California has long been a hub of drug cartel activity,” The Telegraph reported Friday. “The state’s largest city, Tijuana, which is separated from San Diego by a wall, is notoriously violent. It also hosts raucous nightlife and offers cheap plastic surgery for Americans who often take a daytrip across the border.

“The drug gangs usually avoid targeting tourists, something that is not part of their lucrative core operations and would trigger repercussions from Washington,” the outlet added. “But Baja California is awash with Guns bought north of the border and foreigners there can often fall prey to common Crime.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.