(DailyAnswer.com) – The US embassy in Bogota, Colombia, has issued an urgent warning to American citizens traveling to the country after eight suspicious deaths were linked to suspected drug overdoses and homicides. The eight deaths all occurred in Medellin between November 1st and December 31st, 2023. According to the embassy there has been a notable increase over the last year in reports, usually by foreigners, of dating apps being utilized to sedate and attempt to rob people in the country. In addition to Medellin, such incidents were of particular concern in other large cities such as Cartagena and Bogota. A pattern was established of victims being lured to public places such as hotels, bars and restaurants before being assaulted. The embassy has warned travelers to exercise caution in isolated locations such as residences and hotel rooms.
One of the victims was 50-year-old activist and comedian Tou Ger Xiong, who was stabbed more than a dozen times by a group of men. Xiong had been speaking to a woman online and met her for a date before his trip culminated with his kidnap and murder. Xiong called friends on December 10th to tell them he had been kidnapped and that he was being held at gunpoint. His captors were demanding 8 million Colombian pesos, or roughly $2,000, for his release. Xiong’s body was discovered in a ravine with stab wounds and blunt force trauma.
Another named victim was 32-year-old Phillip Mullins, who was found dead in his hotel room. Friends he had been traveling had been concerned that he failed to show up for a planned outing. Though a drug overdose was initially suspected, authorities are investigating who else was in Mullins’ hotel room. Marcel Petrenau, 45, from Florida, was shot while trying to fend off muggers on November 15th. Petrenau was taken to hospital where he died from his wound. Two of the attackers were then arrested.
The embassy has suggested that the actual number of victims of these attacks could be higher than the known cases suggest and noted that many victims who survive such attacks feel too embarrassed to report it and go through the judicial proceedings.
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