MEXICO CITY, Mexico: A Mexican court has sentenced three men to 158 years and nine months in prison each for killing two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip to Baja California in 2024.

The sentence was announced on October 17, after the men were found guilty a week earlier of homicide, aggravated robbery, robbery with violence, and vehicle theft involving violence.

Authorities identified the defendants as Jesus Gerardo "N", known as "El Kekas", Irineo Francisco "N", and Angel Jesus "N". A judicial official from Baja California said the judge had also ordered them to pay compensation to the victims' families.

The victims were Australian brothers Jake Robinson, 33, and Callum Robinson, 30, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30.

The three men had been camping and surfing near Punta San Jose, about 80 kilometers south of Ensenada, when they were reported missing in late April 2024.

After a search lasting several days, with help from the FBI, their bodies were found on May 3 at the bottom of a water well. Authorities said all three had suffered gunshot wounds to the head. Their pickup truck was discovered burned several kilometers away.

In November, Gisell Silva was sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence. The then-23-year-old woman had been arrested a few days after the bodies were discovered. Her case was handled through a fast-track legal process.

Following the latest sentencing, Page Rhoad, the mother of the American victim, spoke remotely through Zoom and said: "There will never be justice for the loss of a child, but these men will never hurt anyone else again."

Martin and Debra Robinson, Jake and Callum's parents, also attended the sentencing hearing remotely. They returned to Australia the previous week after the initial guilty verdict.

During the trial, the couple described their sons' deaths as hell and said the experience had been incredibly difficult. The trial included 24 hearings.

The killings drew attention to security concerns in Baja California, a popular destination for tourists and surfers. Although the Ensenada area is generally considered relatively safe, Baja California remains one of Mexico's most violent states.

After the three men disappeared and were later found dead, the U.S. State Department urged American citizens to reconsider traveling to the state because of the risks of crime and kidnapping.

The lengthy prison sentences bring a major stage of the legal proceedings to a close, while the victims' families continue to deal with the loss of their loved ones.