Verdict nears over Australian surfers' Mexico killings

The trial of three men accused of killing two Australian brothers and their American friend during a surfing trip to Mexico in 2024 has entered its final stage, in a case that raised concerns about the safety of tourists visiting the country.

Prosecutors in the Mexican state of Baja California and defence attorneys delivered closing arguments on Thursday after a month of hearings.

A judge is scheduled to announce a verdict on Friday on the charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

Martin and Debra Robinson, the parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, attended Thursday's hearing.

The brothers were killed along with their American friend, Jack Carter Rhoad.

Debra Robinson called for "exemplary punishment" for those responsible, telling the court that "our children were taken from us and our lives changed forever."

"How can someone so kind die at the hands of such ruthless people?" she asked.

Natalie Rob, the wife of the American victim, addressed the court by video call, saying that living without her husband was "the greatest pain of my life."

The three men travelled to Baja California in April 2024 to surf near Punta San José, about 80km from the coastal city of Ensenada.

They were reported missing shortly after arriving and their bodies were found May 3 in a well near the area.

The Robinsons travelled from Australia to attend the trial, which began on September 7.

"I know they would want us to be here; they would do the same for us," Martin Robinson said at the start of the proceedings.

Four people were arrested in connection with the killings, including Jesús Gerardo García, known as "El Kekas," who prosecutors allege carried out the murders.

García's former partner, Ary Gisell Silva Raya, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in November after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery and violent vehicle theft.