⚠️ Critical Safety Information
This database documents verified incidents of scopolamine (Devil's Breath) poisonings in Medellín reported by news media, Colombian authorities, and the U.S. Embassy. Over 80 foreigners have died under suspicious circumstances since 2022—many linked to dating apps, nightlife, and sex tourism.
80+
Foreign Deaths Since 2022
39
Tourist Deaths in 2024
32
Deaths in 2023
~50%
Victims Are American
~50,000
Annual Incidents in Colombia
📋 Documented Fatal Cases
2024 Deaths (39 Total Reported)
📍 ~50% American
⚠️ 1 death every 6 days
| Date | Victim | Nationality/Age | Location | Circumstances | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2024 | Javier Vásquez Chacón | 🇪🇨 Ecuador, 37 | Downtown | Christmas trip with family. Met woman at La Chula nightclub via dating app. Found dead with blood from mouth/nose. $2,000 charged to credit cards. | Scopolamine overdose | Arrest Made |
| Dec 8, 2024 | American Tourist | 🇺🇸 USA, 52 | Sabaneta | Entered apartment with two women at 7pm. Women left at 4am. Found dead at 11am when missed shuttle to airport. | Suspected overdose | Under Investigation |
| July 17, 2024 | Matthew Miller | 🇺🇸 USA, 42 | Laureles | Found dead in co-living space. Preliminary reports suggest suicide. | Under investigation | Under Investigation |
| July 17, 2024 | Bhupendra Kumal Chhaganlal | 🇮🇪 Ireland/Nepal, 66 | El Poblado | Found face down on bed. Similar to Robert Good's death 10 days earlier. No violence signs. | Suspected drugging | Under Investigation |
| July 6, 2024 | Robert Frederick Good | 🇨🇦 Canada, 74 | El Poblado | Found by staff face down in bed. Not seen for days. No visible violence. 32nd death of 2024. | Suspected drugging | Under Investigation |
| June 30, 2024 | Clifford Allan Wilke | 🇺🇸 USA, 66 | El Poblado | Found dead in hotel room. 15th American death of 2024. | Suspected drugging | Under Investigation |
| June 30, 2024 | Horacio Pérez Ledezma | 🇲🇽 Mexico, 54 | Medellín | Murdered in shoot-out, apparent settling of scores. Different pattern. | Homicide (gunfire) | Under Investigation |
| June 20, 2024 | Mathel Wasson | 🇺🇸 USA, 25 | El Poblado | Border Patrol agent. Second agent dead in 3 weeks. Semi-naked, no violence signs. | Suspected scopolamine | FBI Investigating |
| June 20, 2024 | Matthew Watson Croulet | 🇺🇸 USA, 25 | El Poblado | Got into taxi disoriented. Staff noted he appeared drugged. Dead at 9:25am. 29th death of 2024. | Suspected drugging | Under Investigation |
| June 7, 2024 | Alex Araya | 🇨🇱 Chile, 42 | El Poblado | Chilean actor. Met 2 women on Tinder. CCTV: entered 11:30pm, women left 2hrs later. Naked, face down. Cards/phone stolen. | Burundanga | Women sought |
| May 31, 2024 | Jaime Eduardo Cisneros | 🇺🇸 USA, 54 | Laureles | Border Patrol agent. With prostitute. Dead next morning. Room in "total disarray," valuables stolen. Colleague committed suicide after returning to US. | Suspected scopolamine | FBI Investigating |
| Feb 7, 2024 | Dakarai Earl Cobb | 🇺🇸 USA, 47 | Santa Lucía | Missing 2 days. Found dead. Missing cards, phone, passport. | Suspected drugging | Under Investigation |
| Feb 4, 2024 | Anthony G. López | 🇺🇸 USA, 29 | Laureles | Entered with 2 women intoxicated. Women left hours later. Naked with foam from mouth. No violence marks. | Scopolamine overdose | Under Investigation |
| Feb 2024 | Manley Mark Conlen | 🇺🇸 USA, 37 | El Poblado | Fell from 17th floor at 12:54am. Alone. Not seen 12+ hrs before. Possible suicide or thrown after drugging. | Fall from height | Unknown |
| Feb 29, 2024 | Omar Watson | 🇺🇸 USA, 31 | Bogotá | Brooklyn entrepreneur on solo trip. Found dead in Airbnb bathroom. Suitcase later contained feminine clothes. Mother spent 5 months investigating. | Unknown | Under Investigation |
2023 Deaths (32 Total Reported)
📍 7% increase from 2022
⚠️ 8 Americans died Nov-Dec
| Date | Victim | Nationality/Age | Location | Circumstances | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10-11, 2023 | Tou Ger Xiong | 🇺🇸 USA (Hmong), 50 | Robledo | Minnesota comedian. Met woman online. Kidnapped. $2,000 ransom demanded. Tortured, stabbed, thrown off 250ft cliff. | Kidnapping/Murder | 4 Arrested |
| Nov 14, 2023 | Petreanu | 🇺🇸 USA, 55 | El Poblado | From Florida. Leaving with woman when intercepted by men attempting robbery. | Robbery/Murder | Under Investigation |
| Nov 11, 2023 | Hewett Jeffrey Hutson | 🇺🇸 USA (Texas), 55 | Manila, El Poblado | Dell employee from Austin. In Medellín since August. Found with 20+ stab wounds. Woman entered with him, left alone with bags. | Stabbing (20+ wounds) | 18-yr-old woman charged |
| Oct 31, 2023 | Johny Jerome | 🇺🇸 USA (NY), 45 | Provenza, El Poblado | 45th birthday trip. Returned to hotel with cousin and 2 Venezuelan women at 3:30am. Women left 5:30am. Found dead in jacuzzi. | Suspected scopolamine | Women sought |
| Nov 2022 | Paul Nguyen | 🇺🇸 USA (CA), 27 | Robledo | Cal State Fullerton grad. Met "Maria Luisa" on Tinder. Sent friend Snapchat of her. Found by dumpster. Cards used after 4am. | Scopolamine/Clonazepam | 3 Arrested Evelyn Henao Herrera robbed 4 more after |
Earlier Notable Cases
| Date | Victim | Nationality/Age | Location | Circumstances | Method | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 | Prof. Ramazan Gençay | 🇨🇦 Canada/Turkey, 57 | San Sebastián de Palmitas | SFU economics professor. At EAFIT for seminar. Last seen at salsa club with women. Given 5 benzodiazepine pills at pizzeria, 10 more in car. Body found skeletal state Dec 24. | Benzodiazepine overdose | 3 Arrested |
🔴 Survivor Accounts
| Date | Victim | Nationality | What Happened | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Omer Bloch | 🇮🇱 Israel, 28 | Digital nomad. Tinder match. Beer tasted "bittery." Went for kiss—blacked out. Tests confirmed scopolamine. | Valuables stolen; survived |
| Aug 11, 2024 | Two Norwegian Tourists | 🇳🇴 Norway | Met 2 women at bar. Invited back where 2 MORE women arrived. All four drugged men. | 15 credit cards, cash, phones |
| April 26, 2024 | Italian Tourist | 🇮🇹 Italy | Cartagena discotheque. Beer spiked. Awoke in street with bruises. | Watch, jewelry, cash |
💊 How Scopolamine Is Administered
🍺 Spiked Drinks
Most common. Powder dropped into drinks at bars or victim's residence. Odorless and tasteless with alcohol.
🍲 Contaminated Food
Mixed into soups or food. Prof. Gençay was first drugged via food at a pizzeria.
💨 Blown in Face / Spray
Powder blown at face or via spray bottle. Effects within seconds. Common in Bogotá street crimes.
💊 Combined with Other Drugs
Mixed with benzodiazepines, clonazepam, or Ambien to create fatal "deadly cocktails."
🔗 Known Criminal Organizations & Arrests
La Marina ("The Marinade") Gang
Led by "La Reina de la Escopolamina" (27). Arrested Dec 2024 in Itagüí. 8+ drugging incidents. One victim robbed of $38,806. Used fake IDs.
Evelyn Henao Herrera Network
21-year-old arrested March 2023 for Paul Nguyen murder. After killing him, robbed 4 MORE tourists. 2 male accomplices (25, 28). 13 phones seized.
Tou Ger Xiong Murder Crew
4 arrested including 19-year-old woman who posed as date. Demanded $2,000 ransom, killed anyway by throwing off cliff.
🛡️ How to Protect Yourself
Dating Apps & Strangers
- U.S. Embassy: DO NOT use dating apps in Colombia
- Never meet at your hotel/Airbnb
- Screenshot profile, share with trusted contact
- Tell friends your plans, check in regularly
At Bars & Nightclubs
- NEVER accept drinks from strangers
- Keep drink in hand at all times
- Go out with friends who watch each other
- If drink left unattended, get a new one
If You Think You've Been Drugged
- Get to hospital immediately
- Call 123 (emergency)
- Request blood/urine test ASAP
- U.S. Embassy: +57-1-275-2000
🚨 Emergency Contacts
123
Colombian Emergency
+57-1-275-2000
U.S. Embassy
+57-4-444-4144
Medellín Tourist Police
📚 Sources
- U.S. Embassy Bogotá Security Alerts (January 2024, June 2023)
- Colombian Prosecutor's Office reports
- Medellín Tourism Observatory data
- Channel 4 News investigation (August 2024)
- AP, Reuters, AFP, Newsweek, Vice, Daily Beast, Washington Post
- El Colombiano, El Tiempo (local Colombian reporting)
Note: ~50,000 annual scopolamine incidents estimated in Colombia. Many go unreported.