By Natalia Rueda 
Collaboration between U.S. and Colombian authorities has resulted in the arrest of Hamzeh Mohammad Anasweh, a 57-year-old dual national of Jordan and the United States. The arrest took place on July 12 at Miami International Airport as Anasweh was preparing to travel to Medellin, Colombia. The charges against him are extremely serious: child exploitation and transporting child pornography, crimes that have provoked a wave of indignation in both countries.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, did not hesitate to describe Anasweh as “another degenerate who falls and who must answer to the justice of the American government”, underlining the seriousness of the alleged crimes committed in his city. Anasweh’s frequent visits to Medellín over the past two years, more than 12 admissions, had raised suspicions about the nature of his activities in the region.
During the arrest, five cell phones were confiscated from Anasweh, one of which contained a hidden folder with nude photographs of underage girls. In addition, conversations with a Colombian girl were discovered in which money was mentioned, reinforcing suspicions about his illicit activities. The investigation was expanded thanks to statements from victims in Medellín, related to previous cases involving two other individuals: Timothy Alan Livingston and Stefan Correa.
Sex tourism in Colombia
This case has highlighted the growing concern over child sex tourism in Colombia. The country is facing an alarming increase in cases of foreigners traveling specifically for the purpose of exploiting minors. This trend has led to an urgent call for Colombian authorities to implement stricter and more effective measures to combat this scourge.
As the legal process moves forward, questions are being raised about the full extent of Anasweh’s alleged crimes and his possible connections to international child exploitation networks. Authorities in both countries continue to work closely together to unravel the details of this case and prevent similar incidents in the future.