American Comedian Tou Ger Xiong Found Dead After Attending Concert in Colombia
By Ronny Reyes
Published Dec. 13, 2023, 4:41 p.m. ET
American comedian and activist Tou Ger Xiong was found dead after going on a date with a woman he met online in Colombia. Just days before his body was discovered, Xiong had filmed himself happily partying at a large concert in Medellín, Colombia.
Xiong, 50, an Asian American living in Minnesota, was all smiles on Dec. 3 as he recorded himself among the boisterous crowd attending a much-anticipated Karol G concert in Medellín. However, a week later, he had plans to go on a date with a mystery woman he met on social media but was instead attacked and kidnapped by a group of men, with his body found in a ravine, according to local newspaper El Colombiano.
The comedian appears to be the latest victim of a honeytrap scheme prevalent in major Colombian cities, including Medellín, where wealthy tourists are lured into dangerous situations by women they’ve met online, only to be assaulted by gangs.
According to the US Embassy in Bogota, foreigners are routinely targeted through online dating applications or in bars and nightclubs, with the victims often being drugged with the dangerous sedative known as scopolamine – an odorless, tasteless, memory-blocking substance that puts the victim in a trance-like state.
Xiong’s brother, Eh, is currently working with US Embassy officials to bring his sibling back to Minnesota and has added that one suspect has already been taken into custody. The suspects murdered Xiong before a payment was made, and an investigation has been opened to determine if Xiong’s death was caused because of an attempted escape.
Xiong’s murder marks the 27th violent death of a non-migrant foreigner this year in Colombia’s Aburra Valley, according to the Medellín District Office.
Xiong’s tragic death is a stark reminder of the dangers that exist for tourists in some parts of the world and has once again brought attention to the prevalence of honeytrap schemes targeting wealthy tourists in major Colombian cities.