State Department bulletin: “US Embassy Bogota is aware of eight suspicious deaths of private US citizens in Medellin between November 1 and December 31, 2023. The deaths appear to involve either involuntary drugging overdose or are suspected homicides. At this time, it is not believed these deaths are linked as each involved distinct circumstances, however several of the deaths point to possible drugging, robbery, and overdose, and several involve the use of online dating applications. According to the Tourism Observatory of the District Personnel of Medellin, the number of thefts committed against foreign visitors (excluding Venezuelans) increased 200 percent in the third trimester of 2023 compared to the previous year and violent deaths of foreign visitors increased 29 percent. Most of the 2023 violent death victims were US citizens.”

“Criminals use dating apps to lure victims to meet in public places such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, and then later assault and rob them. Numerous US citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates. Over the last year, the Embassy has seen an increase in reports of incidents involving the use of online dating applications to lure victims, typically foreigners, for robbery by force or using sedatives to drug and rob individuals. The Embassy regularly receives reports of these types of incidents occurring in major cities, including, but not limited to, Medellin, Cartagena, and Bogota. These types of crimes routinely go under-reported as victims are embarrassed and do not want to follow through with the judicial process.”