Four Arrested in Kidnapping and Murder of Hmong American Comedian in Colombia

Despite a Ransom Payment, Tou Ger Xiong was Killed After Being Lured by a Woman He Met on Social Media

Three adults and a teenager have been arrested and charged in the kidnapping and murder of Hmong American comedian and activist Tou Ger Xiong in Colombia.
Xiong was reportedly lured into a trap by a woman he met on social media, a growing trend of crime in Colombia.
Despite a ransom payment of $3,140 made by Xiong's family and friends, he was killed and his body was found with signs of violence in the Robledo area, northwest of Medellín.
The suspects, identified as Sharit Gisela Mejía Martínez, Santiago Bustamante Londoño, Andrés Hincapié Obregón, and a minor, denied the charges at a hearing.
Xiong, born in Laos in 1973, was a well-known figure in the Hmong community in St. Paul, Minnesota, and used his platform as a comedian to address racial discrimination.