The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Colombia on March 31, retaining a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” designation and adding natural disasters as a new risk category, while warning that criminals have used dating apps to drug, rob, and kill American visitors.
The advisory directly addressed the tactic, stating that “many U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by Colombian criminals posing as dates.” The department also warned against hailing street taxis, citing robberies that have turned fatal for Americans.
Four departments are designated Level 4 “Do Not Travel” due to crime and terrorism: Arauca, Cauca excluding Popayán, Valle del Cauca excluding Cali, and Norte de Santander.
Travel within six miles of the Colombia-Venezuela border is also restricted under Level 4, with the State Department citing kidnapping, armed group conflict, and detention risks. U.S. government employees are barred from those areas without special authorization.
The advisory was issued at the start of Holy Week, one of Colombia’s peak international and domestic tourism periods.
Violent crime extends across the country, with the advisory citing murder, assault, robbery, drugging, extortion, and armed break-ins at hotels. Terrorist attacks may strike tourist sites, airports, transportation centers, restaurants, and shopping malls and markets “with little or no warning,” the department stated.
Illegal armed groups, including narcotrafficking organizations, have expanded into more regions of the country, the advisory added.
Natural hazard risks include earthquakes, volcanic activity, and landslides near Bogotá and Medellín, particularly during rainy seasons from March to May and October to November.
The update follows the death of an American Airlines flight attendant found near Medellín on March 27, a case Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez said involved a criminal network targeting foreigners in Colombia.
#MundoAlDía Eric Fernando Gutiérrez Molina, auxiliar de vuelo de American Airlines, llegó a Colombia como parte de una escala desde Miami. Tenía experiencia viajando por el mundo, conocía ciudades, rutas y aeropuertos. Pero esta vez, algo salió mal.
Horas después de salir en El… pic.twitter.com/F9PhzLdrfO
— BluRadio Colombia (@BluRadioCo) April 5, 2026
COLOMBIA | Authorities find a body likely belonging to a missing 32-year-old American Airlines flight attendant in Medellín, with officials suspecting foul play and pursuing leads on those responsible.
(NBC News)
— Latinometrics (@LatamData) March 31, 2026
