By Giovanni Giacalone - Central and Latin America Desk
On April 5, 2025, the Italian biologist Alessandro Coatti disappeared from the center of the Colombian city of Santa Marta, where he had arrived the previous day. He was last seen on the evening of April 5, after leaving the hotel in a taxi.
A hostel worker said that Coatti had "repeatedly asked for information on the routes to reach Minca," a location in the Sierra Nevada massif, "and if there was the possibility of studying the species in the area."
Santa Marta Metropolitan Police Commander Jaime Ríos Puerto immediately pointed out that Coatti had no criminal record and, as far as authorities knew, had not received any threats. "He was a tourist, a scientist; he had no suspicious connections."
The 38-year-old molecular biologist, a Pisa Normale graduate specialised at the Max Planck Institute, had been an employee of the Royal Society of Biology in London until the end of 2024, before resigning to undertake a trip aimed at tourism, volunteering and naturalistic studies in the northern area of Colombia. The researcher was interested in visiting the Tayrona Natural Park.
First Developments
According to Colombian sources, on Sunday, April 6, the first remains of Coatti (head and hands) were found in a suitcase abandoned in the vegetation near the Sierra Nevada stadium. The following day, other remains were found in a trolley under La Platina bridge and a third discovery with different body parts was found in a bag near the Villa Betel neighborhood, not far from the aforementioned stadium.
A gruesome narco-style murder, which does not fit well with the profile of the victim, who had no criminal record, had not received any threats, and was involved in naturalistic research. The initial hypothesis of a possible responsibility on behalf of the local paramilitary groups such as the Gulf Cartel and the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra was soon left aside and the investigations quickly led to a gang of criminals dedicated to robberies who allegedly lured him on Grindr, a dating app widely used by the LGBT community. Coatti was most likely contacted through a fake profile, and left his hotel believing he was heading to meet a person, but instead found himself facing his attackers who drugged him, robbed and killed him, scattering the dismembered body parts in various areas of the city to complicate the investigation.
The mystery remains as to why Coatti was killed, given that in most cases, the victims are simply abandoned in some remote place. In this case, the situation may have escalated in some way; Coatti may have reacted to the attempted theft or may have seen something he shouldn’t have. According to reports, the 38-year-old was first killed with a series of blows and, only later, cut into pieces.
The Colombian authorities have so far identified four individuals (three males and one female) who are currently at large, while a building in the San José del Pando neighborhood has been seized and traces of the researcher's DNA, and objects belonging to him have been found there.
A major breakthrough in the case came after reconstructing Coatti's movements in the Santa Marta area. It was, in fact, strange for him to leave the central part of the city, where his hotel was located, and head towards the San José del Pando neighborhood. The scientist’s body parts were retrieved in locations around that specific barrio.
The Italian ambassador in Bogotá, Giancarlo Maria Curcio, had already reported the presence in the country of the so-called "scopolamine gangs": criminal groups that use this powerful drug to stun their victims, empty their bank accounts or rob them without leaving a trace in their memory.
Scopolamine's Shadow
Scopolamine, also known as Burandanga and Devil’s Breath (because it “steals the victim’s soul”), is a tropical alkaloid produced by species of plants such as Hyoscyamus Albus and Datura Stramonium. The substance is most commonly used to prevent motion sickness and alleviate post-surgery nausea and vomiting; however, it can also be used for criminal purposes. For instance, it has become common practice among some gangs operating in Latin American countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Scopolamine induces a disoriented state and leaves victims incapacitated and vulnerable to robbery, sexual assault, and other crimes.
A 2024 investigation by Guillermo Galdos for Channel 4 revealed that between 2020 and 2024, over 80 foreigners have died, only in the city of Medellin, under such circumstances; however, according to local sources, the number could be much higher. The victims are nearly all men, and often were last seen leaving their hotels to meet women on dates after hooking up on apps such as Tinder. Some of the victims end up dying after being drugged, since it can lead to respiratory issues and be fatal.
In 2012, the U.S. Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) issued a travel advisory warning travelers to Latin America about the risk of being assaulted and robbed by gangs utilising scopolamine:
“One common and particularly dangerous method that criminals use to rob a victim is through the use of drugs. Scopolamine is most often administered in liquid or powder form in foods and beverages. The majority of these incidents occur in nightclubs and bars, and usually, men, perceived to be wealthy, are targeted by young, attractive women…”
In 2012, a Vice documentary exposed the use of scopolamine made by Colombian gangs to rob foreign tourists. Among other things, this substance leaves victims unable to recall many details of what happened to them, making it impossible for the police to identify suspects.
In the case of Alessandro Coatti, the reasons for his murder and mutilation remain unclear. For all we now know, it is only possible to speculate while waiting for the fugitives to be arrested.
