The killing of Hmong American activist and comedian Tou Ger Xiong this week in Colombia is reminiscent of a death of another Asian American 9 months ago, Paul Nguyen.
Police say both men were killed after meeting up with women they met on the internet in April. Authorities believe their dates were used to lure the men into dangerous situations.
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Nguyen met his date on Tinder and even posted a photo of her on Snapchat. Police found him dead a day later.
In the case of Xiong, he had been with a woman he met on social media before being kidnapped, according to El Colombiano.
The Latin Post reports foreign tourists are often targets of such scheme. It appears more likely Nguyen and Xiong were trapped because they were foreign tourists and not Asian American.
Colombian prosecutors say they’ve received reports of more than 250 kidnappings for extortion. The Star Tribune reports 3 Americans have been murdered in Colombia in the last month.
At times, a drug known a sedative known as scopolamine is hidden in food and beverages, rendering the victim unconscious. Xiong was stabbed, so it’s not clear if he was also drugged.
At least one suspect has been taken into custody in Xiong’s case. The kidnappers are said to have demanded $2,000 in ransom money in the case, but police say they were unsuccessful in getting any money.
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