INTERNACIONAL
Three men get 158 years each for murdering American and Australian surfers, dumping bodies in Mexican well
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Three men in Mexico received 158-year prison sentences Friday for the murders of Australian surfers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Redd Rhoad.
A federal judge in the town of Ensenada, Baja California sentenced Jesús Gerardo García, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús each to 158 years and nine months in prison for murder, robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence.
An accomplice of García’s — Ary Gisell Silva Raya — was also convicted of aggravated robbery with violence and vehicle theft with violence and sentenced to 20 years in November after agreeing to an abbreviated trial.
AMERICANS WARNED POPULAR TRAVEL ROUTES THIS SUMMER COULD CARRY CRIME AND KIDNAPPING RISKS
Jesus Gerardo ‘N’, known as ‘El Kekas’, one of three men found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a surfing trip in April 2024, is pictured in this handout image released October 16, 2026. (Baja California State Attorney General’s Office (FGE)/Handout via REUTERS)
García, Francisco and Jesús were convicted last week of killing the Robinson brothers and Rhoad, which authorities said was carried out in order to steal the tires from the deceased men’s truck.
«The attackers pull out a gun they were carrying and kill the person who initially resisted the robbery, then on the other two,» Baja California prosecutor María Elena Andrade said, according to a report from The Associated Press.
THREE WOMEN FOUND DEAD IN POPULAR AMERICAN TOURIST HOT SPOT AS LOCAL POLICE SEARCH FOR CLUES
Mexican authorities found the trio’s bodies in a well in the state of Baja California in May 2024.
The three men traveled to Punta San José, about 50 miles from where their bodies were found in Ensenada, for a surfing trip in April 2024.
Debra and Martin Robinson, parents of Australian brothers Callum and Jake Robinson, pause during a news conference after the trial of the men accused of murdering the brothers and an American friend, in Ensenada, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Castaneda)
MEXICAN SPORTS JOURNALIST ROBBED AT GUNPOINT DURING LIVE REPORT
The parents of the Robinsons attended the sentencing, telling reporters the moment marked a significant conclusion to the tragic two years since their sons’ deaths.
«Today’s guilty verdict is a significant moment in our long and painful journey to seek justice for our beautiful sons, Callum and Jake, and their friend Carter Rhoad, whose lives were so cruelly taken from them in 2024,» Matin Robinson said.
POPULAR CRUISE LINE’S GIANT BEACH PARK BLOCKED BY MEXICO AFTER LOCAL BACKLASH ERUPTS
The deaths captured international attention and rocked the local economy, which authorities said was heavily reliant on tourism.
Antonio Otañez, president of the Baja California surfers association, said he was happy to see justice served but admitted the incident led to a «major drop» in tourism.
National Guard vehicles guard a state prosecutors investigative search at the site where three surfers were camping before disappearing during a surf trip, as the investigation continues in El Faro, Santo Tomas delegation in Ensenada, Baja California state, Mexico, on May 6, 2024. Baja California State Prosecution Office confirmed the deaths of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Jack Carte on May 5, 2024. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
world, crime world, location mexico, homicide, americas
INTERNACIONAL
California diners are cutting back as costs soar — but restaurant owner reveals one trend that’s booming
Happy hour is becoming the main event for some California diners as the state’s high cost of living pushes more customers to seek out discounted meals instead of paying full price for a night out.
Chef Alex Carballo of Grand Restaurant Group told Digital that happy hour once accounted for an estimated 5% to 8% of his business. Now, that figure has climbed to nearly 30%, even as customers cut back on dining out.
«My happy hour has increased a lot, so I think people are looking for deals and looking for options,» Carballo said.
The shift reflects a broader affordability squeeze across California where residents told Digital that rising costs for housing, groceries and gasoline are forcing them to rethink everyday spending.
California has the highest overall price levels in the nation, according to 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, with prices running roughly 11% above the national average. But affordability pressures extend far beyond the Golden State, as Americans nationwide grapple with elevated costs for housing, groceries and other everyday necessities.
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Carballo said customers are visiting his restaurants less frequently, with some scaling back how often they eat out.
«They’re going out three times a week, where they were coming out to see me four or five [times]. And the people that used to see three times a week, they’re only coming out once,» he said.
What was once a stop for drinks or appetizers before dinner is increasingly becoming the dinner itself, Carballo said.
«Now it’s like, that’s where they’re going and they’re hitting those scenes,» he said.
Customers can still enjoy the same food, service and atmosphere at lower prices, Carballo said, making happy-hour deals particularly appealing.
But those discounts also create challenges for restaurant operators who are already grappling with rising expenses.
«I’m still paying the same amount for food. I’m still paying the employees. My rent didn’t change. Nothing changed. Only thing I’m doing is trying to discount my product to gain people to come here,» Carballo said.
AMERICANS SAY TIPPING PRACTICES ‘HAVE BECOME RIDICULOUS’ AS DIGITAL PROMPTS PUSH HIGHER GRATUITIES
Digital also spoke with residents in Southern California who described making financial trade-offs that extend well beyond restaurants.
Jonas, a Santa Monica resident who is planning a wedding with his fiancée, said he and his fiancée are reevaluating their budget as everyday expenses continue to add up.
«Certainly gas is expensive, rent is high, and then grocery prices are pretty high as well,» Jonas said.
He estimated that he spends approximately $100 a week on groceries and said rising costs are influencing their decisions about dining out and transportation.
The couple is «eating out a little bit less,» Jonas said, adding that he has also started walking to work to «save money on gas as well.»
«I think that people are just seeing prices go up everywhere, and feeling like they’re getting less than what they had four years ago maybe,» he said. «I think everybody’s really feeling that.»
BELOVED RESTAURANT CHAIN DWINDLES FROM 850 LOCATIONS TO 87, BUT EXPERT SEES ‘A LOT OF LIFE LEFT’
For some Californians, the financial strain has gone beyond cutting back on restaurants.
Justin, a California native from Glendora who moved to Las Vegas seven years ago, told Digital that the state’s high cost of living was one of the reasons he left.
«Affordability is crazy,» Justin said while visiting Los Angeles for a Rams game.
«I left seven years ago and I thought gas and you know rent was high then,» he said. «Here I am seven years later and it’s … one of the reasons why I’m in Vegas now. It’s just unaffordable.»
Justin said many of his friends who remain in California are still struggling with housing costs.
EXCLUSIVE: INSIDE LA’S HOMELESS HELLSCAPE — UNLIKELY CRITICS BLAST DEMS AS GOP HOPEFUL TOURS SKID ROW
«90% of my friends are living with a roommate. It is really hard to live alone here,» he said.
Housing remains another major affordability challenge in the Golden State. Just 19% of California households could afford the state’s median-priced home of $916,750 in the second quarter of 2026, according to the California Association of Realtors.
In Venice, resident Tatiana described rising expenses across everything from gasoline to groceries and neighborhood restaurants.
«Everything is more expensive, gas is more expensive, food,» she told Digital. «There’s really very few affordable restaurants left on Abbot Kinney. Even our local co-op prices have gone up at least 15%. Everything costs more.»
«We’re not getting any breaks in California,» she said.
california, economy, san diego, costs, inflation, restaurants
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A former U.S. diplomat appeared in court in South Korea Friday facing charges of defamation against President Lee Jae Myung for comments made on American soil in a case that has left him stranded in the Asian country.
Morse Tan’s troubles began after he delivered a talk in June 2025 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and responded to a question where he brought up the South Korean leader’s alleged involvement in a crime as an adolescent.
Since visiting the country in May, Tan has not been allowed to leave due to the case against him, having been charged under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., and the Criminal Act.
Tan issued his remarks about Lee’s alleged juvenile crimes at a National Press Club event titled: «Report on Election Fraud in the June 3 South Korean Presidential election.» In response to a question about President Lee and other issues, Tan responded by citing allegations from a few years back that Lee was involved in a gang rape and murder when he was a teenager. He added that Lee, now 62, was sent to a juvenile detention center and did not complete junior high and high school.
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT JUMPS TO INVEST IN MILITARY AFTER TRUMP CUTS JOINT EXERCISES
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference on his G7 trip at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on June 19, 2026. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images)
South Korean prosecutors say the criminal allegations against Lee are unsubstantiated, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. The outlet wrote that they said Lee had not «been prevented from attending middle or high school due to such a criminal record.»
Another South Korean news outlet, KBS World reported that «the prosecution previously verified that there was no record of Lee’s being incarcerated at a juvenile detention center and concluded that the rumors about his incarceration were false.»
Asia Business Daily reported that Tan’s attorney said that «Even if jurisdiction is recognized, the statements did not present false information, and Tan was not aware that they were false,» adding, «He had no intention to defame.»
Tan told Fox News Digital on Friday that he «pleaded not guilty because I believe that Lee Jae Myung is guilty» during his hearing at the Seoul Central District Court.
OVER 50 HOUSE MEMBERS ACCUSE SOUTH KOREA’S NEW LEFT-WING GOVERNMENT OF ATTACKING US COMPANIES, FAVORING CHINA
Amb. Morse Tan during a press conference outside the court in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 16, 2026. (Morse Tan)
Tan, who has taught constitutional law and served as the dean of Liberty University’s law school, told Fox News Digital his «protected speech is about as protected as it gets.» He said South Korea’s prosecutor invoked «criminal defamation, a dubious category which does not exist in the U.S.,» to prosecute him.
A spokesperson for the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. told Fox News Digital, «This case is being handled in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations, established principles and due process in the Republic of Korea and the restriction on departure is also imposed and reviewed accordingly.»
Tan says he is disappointed that the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Michelle Steel, a former Republican congresswoman from California, has not publicly commented on Tan’s legal case — both Steel and Tan are Korean-Americans.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the case.
«The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,» the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. «Due to privacy and other considerations, we have nothing further to share at this time.»
Tan said the case against him violated his due process rights, and the South Korean judicial system lacks jurisdiction to bring the case. He added that the second charge against him involves his July 2025 talk in South Korea, where he «raised some issues as questions» involving the president. «This is political lawfare. This is a persecution, not a prosecution,» he said.
TRUMP SHOULD PRESS XI ON CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Amb. Morse Tan addressing supporters near the courthouse in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 16, 2023. (Morse Tan)
Tan believes the motivation for seeking to criminalize his free speech stems from the South Korean government’s view of him as a «threat» and an outspoken critic of Lee’s alleged appeasement policy toward the North Korean communist regime.
«People consider me to be leading a movement against the communizing of South Korea,» Tan said.
Tan accused the present government of being aligned with North Korean and Chinese communist regimes «against the U.S. and the Korean people.»
Tan points to bias against him by South Korean authorities, who he says prohibited him from attending the funeral of his grandmother, while it allows South Korean prisoners to attend funerals for family members.
KBS World reported that the «Police, who had initially decided not to hand over Tan’s case to the prosecution, launched a reinvestigation at the prosecution’s request.»
Ambassador Morse Tan pictured during his tenure at the State Department in President Donald Trump’s first term. Tan served as the Ambassador-at-Large for the Office of Global Criminal Justice. (US State Department)
National Review Online also reported that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber dismissed a complaint about Tan’s alleged defamatory statements in April 2026, declaring «no right to prosecute.»
According to South Korean law, Tan could face a prison term if found guilty.
south korea, north korea, first amendment, national security, state department
INTERNACIONAL
El exjefe de la Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria de Guatemala, Juan Francisco Solórzano, es asesinado en el Campo Marte
El abogado Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, exjefe de la Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria, fue asesinado el sábado 17 de octubre durante un ataque armado en las canchas del Campo Marte, en la zona 5 de la Ciudad de Guatemala. El hecho dejó un segundo fallecido, identificado como Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarra, de 52 años, y al menos tres personas heridas mientras se realizaba una actividad deportiva.
Los Bomberos Municipales recibieron varias llamadas a la línea 123 que alertaban sobre disparos dentro del complejo deportivo. Al llegar, los paramédicos encontraron a dos hombres sin signos vitales, con múltiples heridas provocadas por proyectiles de arma de fuego.
Las víctimas tenían entre 40 y 45 años, según la primera evaluación de los socorristas. Las ambulancias trasladaron a tres heridos a un centro asistencial para recibir atención médica.
El ataque ocurrió en una de las canchas del Campo Marte mientras Solórzano Foppa participaba en un partido de fútbol junto con su asistente y otras personas, de acuerdo con información preliminar. En el lugar quedó el cuerpo del exfuncionario junto al de Aguilar Gamarra.
La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) informó la captura de dos personas vinculadas de manera preliminar con el ataque. La institución también indicó que fue incautada un arma de fuego, aunque no divulgó la identidad de los detenidos ni precisó cuál habría sido su participación.
Despues de confirmarse el hecho, el presidente Bernardo Arévalo, utilizo su red social X por medio de la cual expreso “repudio enérgicamente el cobarde asesinato del exfiscal Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa. Sus autores, materiales e intelectuales, deben pagar las consecuencias con todo el peso de la ley: todas las instituciones públicas deben cooperar para que este crimen se castigue”.
Además indica que ha girado instrucciones a las instituciones del ejecutivo para actuar de inmediato, coordinarse con las autoridades competentes y poner todas sus capacidades al servicio del esclarecimiento de este crimen. Quienes creen que el terror puede intimidar al pueblo de Guatemala y al gobierno que dirijo, se equivocan. En honor a Foppa, en honor a nuestra patria, en honor a la justicia.
Un ataque durante una jornada deportiva
El Campo Marte es un complejo deportivo situado en la zona 5 capitalina que Solórzano Foppa frecuentaba desde hacía 15 años. En un video publicado en septiembre, el abogado había contado que jugaba fútbol allí durante los fines de semana.
El sector fue acordonado tras los disparos, mientras las autoridades iniciaban las diligencias para recopilar indicios y establecer la secuencia del crimen. Hasta el momento, no se han informado el posible móvil ni las circunstancias en las que los atacantes llegaron a la cancha.
La identidad de Solórzano Foppa fue confirmada por autoridades de socorro tras la llegada de un equipo periodístico de Soy502 a la escena. El exfuncionario tenía 43 años al momento de su muerte.
En sus redes sociales, Solórzano Foppa publicaba opiniones sobre asuntos políticos y judiciales. También había denunciado presuntos vínculos entre pandillas y figuras políticas, además de referirse a estructuras criminales.
La trayectoria de Solórzano Foppa en la función pública
Solórzano Foppa era abogado y notario, con más de 15 años de experiencia como funcionario público. Hizo carrera fiscal en el Ministerio Público, donde fundó y dirigió la Dirección de Análisis Criminal y ocupó la Dirección de Investigaciones Criminalísticas.
Posteriormente fue superintendente de la Superintendencia de Administración Tributaria (SAT), cargo al que llegó como la persona más joven en ocupar esa posición. También integró los Bomberos Municipales durante más de 13 años.
Después de dejar la SAT, se dedicó al ejercicio profesional como abogado litigante y participó en procesos judiciales de alto perfil. En los últimos días actuaba como defensor de una extrabajadora del Ministerio Público procesada por la compra de un edificio para esa institución.
El abogado también representaba a la exfiscal general Thelma Aldana, vinculada a ese mismo expediente judicial. Su actividad profesional se extendía a casos relacionados con criminalidad organizada y a opiniones públicas sobre la coyuntura nacional.
La investigación deberá determinar quiénes participaron en el ataque, cómo se produjo el ingreso de los agresores al complejo deportivo y cuál fue el motivo del asesinato. La PNC no ha difundido información adicional sobre los dos detenidos ni sobre el estado de las tres personas que resultaron heridas.
retrato,oficina,traje
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