In popular South American cities like Medellín, Colombia, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, a disturbing trend has taken root: male tourists being drugged and robbed by women they meet online or during nights out/visiting escorts. Many of these incidents involve the use of
scopolamine, a powerful substance that renders victims docile and erases short-term memory. Some cases have turned deadly. With rising numbers, the question looms: are these women acting alone, or are they part of a larger,
more sinister network?
Recent reports and embassy warnings point toward the involvement of organized crime. In Medellín, a woman dubbed “La Reina de la Escopolamina” was arrested in 2024 for leading a group that targeted foreign tourists in areas like Parque Lleras. Her gang used dating apps like Tinder to lure victims, who were then drugged and robbed. The operation was systematic—clear evidence that some of these women are working under criminal leadership, including pimps or even cartels that control sections of the city’s nightlife and tourism sector.
However, it would be inaccurate to assume that
all women involved in these schemes are under the control of pimps or criminal gangs. In interviews and field reports, some women have spoken out anonymously, stating that they work independently. For instance, a Venezuelan migrant working in Medellín’s sex trade told the Associated Press she was tired of the assumption that every sex worker was a criminal or part of a cartel. She emphasized that
most just want to work and survive without harming anyone.
Nonetheless, independent operators are the minority. The scale, coordination, and frequency of incidents involving drugging suggest that organized structures are behind most of the attacks. Often, women are recruited or forced into participation due to poverty, debt, or coercion, with criminal groups taking a large share of their earnings.
There are also cases—shown in recent documentaries—where former gang members admit to orchestrating schemes involving multiple women, some knowingly involved, others manipulated or threatened. One anonymous man told a reporter he used to run operations where girls were sent out specifically to drug clients, raising the question of how much autonomy these women really have.
While there are undoubtedly women who act alone, the majority appear to be caught in a complex web of exploitation. Addressing this crisis requires understanding the broader socio-economic conditions that drive women into these roles and acknowledging that not every woman involved is a willing participant—or a criminal mastermind.
