Incidents of American and foreign tourist murders in Colombia have surged, with many cases linked to dating apps. A series of mysterious deaths involving 8 Americans over two months in Colombia has raised suspicions about their connection to dating apps they were using, which led to their entrapment and murder. The American embassy in the Colombian capital of Bogotá reported that several victims were drugged and robbed after meeting individuals through these apps.
Among the victims was an Asian American named Tu Ger Xiong, who was kidnapped and killed in Colombia after meeting a woman online. He was found dead with more than 12 stab wounds, and four people have been arrested in connection with this crime. The BBC noted that there were 32 reported murders of tourists during the first 10 months of last year, with many victims having communicated with prostitutes through dating and escort apps prior to being robbed.
It was reported that a man named Tu from Minneapolis lost contact after traveling to Medellín, Colombia. His brother mentioned that he called him at the end of last year, asking for $2,000 without explaining the reason, and it was known that he was speaking to a girl online. His brother later found him murdered in a remote area outside the city after he had been kidnapped for money at gunpoint.
The American embassy recorded the discovery of Jeff Hewitt's body, soaked in blood, in his hotel room in Medellín. His friends stated he was a victim of a robbery that escalated into a murder. The murders of dating app users varied from kidnapping and murder to drugging, with some potentially dying from overdoses after being lured by women for prostitution.
Carlos Cali, the former director of the tourism observatory in the city, stated that criminals have become accustomed to drugging tourists with a substance called scopolamine, known as “the devil’s breath”, which is odorless and can cause the victim to sleep for up to 24 hours. Cali commented, "There is a negative image of tourists in the city, which is that they are looking for sex." A representative from the tourism observatory confirmed that "most" of the victims are men, but added that many cases remain under investigation. Prostitution is legal in Colombia and is prevalent in tourist areas and cities like Medellín and Cartagena.
