Bodies of Australian and US tourists found in Mexico

Family members of three tourists who went missing in northern Mexico last month have identified their bodies, the state prosecutor’s office in Baja California said in a statement.

The remains of Australian brothers Callum, 33, and Jake Robinson, 30, and American Carter Rhoad, 30, were found in a well earlier this week in what authorities are treating as a murder investigation.

The trio were believed to have been murdered during an attempt to steal their pick-up truck, state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade said at a press conference.

The vehicle – which had been burned – was found nearby.

The bodies “all have a hole in their head made by a firearm projectile,” Ms Andrade said, adding that the friends had previously visited Mexico several times without any problems.

The state prosecutor’s office later confirmed in a statement that the bodies had been formally identified as those of the missing surfers.

Three suspects, two men and one woman, have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the case, according to prosecutors.

One of those arrested has a history of violence, drug dealing and robbery, officials said.

Investigators said earlier that the bodies were recovered from a cliff-top shaft in an “advanced state of decomposition.”