Medellin airport targeting single male travelers and denying entry

[frazzle]

There's talk on TikTok and Facebook that Medellin airport is singling out males traveling alone from the United States, pulling them aside for secondary screening, inspecting phones, denying entry, etc.

I don't know how true this is. Supposedly it's to combat pedophiles but really anything showing you intend to have sex or hookup there is being used as a reason to deny entry. 

[Traveler365]

Just entered there--other than nearly 2 hour wait there was nothing unusual. I even had a booth that had a "supervisor" and was processed in about 30 seconds once I got to the front of the line.

[Latbear4blk]

17 minutes ago, frazzle said:

There's talk on TikTok and Facebook that Medellin airport is singling out males traveling alone from the United States, pulling them aside for secondary screening, inspecting phones, denying entry, etc.

I don't know how true this is. Supposedly it's to combat pedophiles but really anything showing you intend to have sex or hookup there is being used as a reason to deny entry. 

You should not get your information from TikTok.

[macdaddi]

I think the bigger story is the lack of border agents in Rionegro airport (that serves Medellín). The lines at customs can take hours waiting to be processed as a foreign visitor. In Bogotá I can usually get through customs in 20 minutes. There are flights to Medelllín basically every 40 minutes starting at 430am

There have been multiple arrests where children were being held captive for prostitution with foreigners, most recently at a smaller hotel in El Poblado in May 2024. The Colombian government is rightfully very concerned about becoming a sex tourism destination and continue to do more surveillance in areas popular with tourists. The cameras you see on every street corner in El Poblado? Those are just barely one year old. 

FWIW According to the alcaldía, 57% of foreign travelers arriving to the city are single males, average age of 37.7 years. Travelers from the USA made up the largest group, at around 42% of all visitors to the city. 

[frazzle]

On 10/17/2025 at 3:49 PM, Latbear4blk said:

You should not get your information from TikTok.

If it was one video I'd be skeptical. But it's Facebook posts and comments with people using their real name. Similar rumblings on Reddit and elsewhere. It's really not unbelievable either... there's some tension between the US and Colombia right now. 

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, frazzle said:

there's some tension between the US and Colombia right now. 

There's tension between the US and everyone right now.....

[Latbear4blk]

13 hours ago, frazzle said:

If it was one video I'd be skeptical. But it's Facebook posts and comments with people using their real name. Similar rumblings on Reddit and elsewhere. It's really not unbelievable either... there's some tension between the US and Colombia right now. 

Meh. I advise against getting any news from any social media outlet. 

[Primeone385]

On 10/17/2025 at 11:49 AM, Latbear4blk said:

You should not get your information from TikTok.

No one should rely solely on TikTok for their information, but it’s important to remember that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. TikTok has occasionally shared some accurate information.

[Latbear4blk]

2 hours ago, Primeone385 said:

No one should rely solely on TikTok for their information, but it’s important to remember that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. TikTok has occasionally shared some accurate information.

Information that you would not get through more conventional sources?