Colombia’s 2026 vice-tourism inadmissions outpace all of 2025

Migración Colombia denied entry to an American known on social media as Casey Red Beard at Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado in Bogotá on Saturday, May 23, returning him on an immediate flight to Miami after officials confirmed prior alerts linking him to the alleged promotion of sex tourism and private gatherings in Medellín. The traveler has been barred from entering Colombia for 10 years.

The decision drew on existing anotaciones registered by the agency’s Regional Antioquia-Chocó office, derived from public denouncements made in earlier years. According to Migración Colombia, the man had used social media to promote private gatherings in apartments in Medellín aimed at foreign visitors, marketed under the name Programa de Inmersión en Medellín. The agency described packages priced in US dollars that included private dinners, exclusive parties, excursions, and food and transport for women attending the events.

A message attributed by Migración Colombia to the organizers of the parties read: “Mis clientes son millonarios y me pagan muy bien para lanzar fiestas donde solo haya chicas educadas (…) ellos no quieren conocer las chicas que están en el Lleras a las 2 a.m.” (“My clients are millionaires and they pay me very well to throw parties where there are only educated girls (…) they don’t want to meet the girls who are at Lleras at 2 a.m.”)

“In several posts, he brags that his “white advantage” helps him attract Latin American women and urges men to get their passports.” – Jessica Van Meir in The Baffler #77, January 2025

Statements from Bogotá and Medellín

The Director General of Migración Colombia, Gloria Esperanza Arriero, said the agency “no solo tiene rigor en el control migratorio, sino también capacidad en las verificaciones y en la toma de decisiones para combatir la trata de personas y la explotación sexual de niños, niñas y adolescentes con todos los elementos posibles” (“not only enforces migration controls rigorously, but also has the verification and decision-making capacity to combat human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents with every available element”). Arriero added that the agency would continue strengthening control mechanisms to prevent the entry of persons it determines pose risks to communities.

The Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, addressed the case on his X account: “Otro más. Go Home Un estadounidense conocido en redes sociales como Casey Red Beard llegó a Bogotá en un vuelo desde Miami y fue devuelto a su país por Migración Colombia, luego de confirmarse que estaba en la lista Alertas Medellín, por promoción explícita de turismo con fines de explotación sexual, organizando fiestas en apartamentos de la ciudad.” (“Another one. Go Home An American known on social media as Casey Red Beard arrived in Bogotá on a flight from Miami and was returned to his country by Migración Colombia, after it was confirmed he was on the Alertas Medellín list for the explicit promotion of tourism for the purposes of sexual exploitation, organizing parties in apartments in the city.”)

“Let it be clear: there is no place here for foreigners who come to promote disorder and skirt the law.”— Federico Gutiérrez, Mayor of Medellín

The Alertas Medellín list cited by Gutiérrez is a municipal mechanism maintained by the Alcaldía de Medellín that flags foreign nationals associated with criminal activity, security risks, or conduct authorities consider incompatible with public coexistence. The list is shared with Migración Colombia for use at points of entry.

Identifying the Subject

Authorities publicly identified the man only by his social-media handle, Casey Red Beard, and the affiliated X account @RedBeardRants1. The individual operating under the handle is Casey Brown, an American previously identified by name in a January 2025 essay in The Baffler by journalist Jessica Van Meir, who described him as “a self-proclaimed red-pilled dating coach” who advertised “gringo parties” in Medellín “for American tourists to meet Colombian women.” Van Meir cited a 2023 report in the Colombian feminist outlet Manifiesta alleging that Red Beard and an accomplice had engaged in sex trafficking. A LinkedIn profile consistent with the same identification also presents him under the name Casey Brown. Migración Colombia has not commented on legal-name identification.

Self-Styled ‘Red-Pilled’ Dating Coach

The public profile cultivated by the subject sits squarely within the so-called “red pill” or “manosphere” online community — a network of self-styled male-dating influencers whose best-known international figure is the British-American social-media personality Andrew Tate, currently under indictment in Romania on charges including human trafficking and rape. On his YouTube channel, which operates under the handle @redbeardrants, and in his publicly indexed marketing materials, Red Beard describes his stated mission as one to “destroy loneliness in men” and promotes a method built around mass online-dating outreach, paid virtual assistants, and copy-paste messaging “funnels.” His published guidance to clients includes an explicit recommendation to “leave the west (USA, Canada, UK, etc.). Go to a more favorable dating market like Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, etc. where the women are more feminine, beautiful, cooperative, and easier to obtain.” His listed past collaborations include Myron Gaines and the Fresh and Fit Podcast, a manosphere-adjacent program in the same broader subculture.

Investigators reviewing his social-media output cited the same framing in their internal alerts. Beyond the “chicas educadas” message attributed to the organizers by Migración Colombia, the agency noted that Red Beard’s published content has historically marketed Medellín itself as the destination commodity, with the city’s Parque Lleras nightlife district and surrounding El Poblado sector positioned as the operational base for his promoted experiences.

Mayor’s Office Has Made Vice and Sex Tourism a Signature Enforcement Priority

Federico Gutiérrez has positioned the protection of women and children from sexual exploitation as a defining priority of his second, non-consecutive mayoral term, treating the suppression of vice tourism as both a public-safety obligation and a city-brand imperative. The May 23 Casey Red Beard inadmission fits a sustained two-year enforcement push that began in his first weeks back in office in early 2024. Within weeks of taking office, the administration imposed a curfew restricting unaccompanied minors from designated zones — including La 33, La Candelaria, and the Corredor de la 70 — to combat commercial sexual exploitation of children. In April 2024 the mayor used emergency powers to outlaw prostitution in the El Poblado sector, including the Parque Lleras zone, and authorities sealed a guesthouse called Gotham marketed through Airbnb on grounds related to alleged organized criminal activity, with extinción de dominio (asset forfeiture) proceedings sought against the property.

The enforcement push has been backed by explicit US support. In April 2024 the US Ambassador to Colombia, Francisco Palmieri, met with Gutiérrez in Bogotá and pledged the “total cooperation of the US government and its resources” to support Colombian law enforcement against sexual exploitation and human trafficking, including the extradition of US citizens to Colombia where applicable. A bilateral operational pattern was already visible in March 2024, when two US citizens were arrested for the sexual exploitation of minors in Colombia following coordinated raids. Subsequent arrests in August 2024 involved direct coordination with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on a transnational case involving a Mexican operator and routes through El Poblado, Belén, Cancún, and Mérida.

Municipal prevention has run alongside enforcement and has been framed around the protection of minors and women in conditions of economic vulnerability. The Secretary of Security and Coexistence of Medellín, Manuel Villa Mejía, has overseen periodic mega-operativos involving more than 300 agents drawn from the Policía Nacional, the army, Migración Colombia, and municipal agencies, targeting establishments and accommodations linked to alleged exploitation. In October 2025 the Alcaldía launched training for owners and administrators of tourist accommodations in coordination with Fundación Renacer, a Colombian non-governmental organization specializing in the prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of children. City-government figures from October 2024 reported a 160% increase in arrests for sexual violence against minors and 22,000 calls to the city’s 123 emergency line for child and adolescent protection requests during that year, even as overall foreign tourist arrivals rose 26% — a data pairing the Alcaldía has used to argue that brand recovery and enforcement are complementary rather than competing objectives.

The broader foreigner-safety beat in Medellín has continued to draw international attention. In March 2026, the death of an American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) flight attendant in Antioquia following her disappearance focused renewed attention on escopolamina-related crime targeting foreigners and locals in the city.

Otro más. Go Home

Un estadounidense conocido en redes sociales como Casey Red Beard llegó a Bogotá en un vuelo desde Miami y fue devuelto a su país por Migración Colombia, luego de confirmarse que estaba en la lista Alertas Medellín, por promoción explícita de turismo con… https://t.co/EWBfr9qwdK

— Fico Gutiérrez (@FicoGutierrez) May 23, 2026

Enforcement Numbers for 2026

In what has elapsed of 2026, Migración Colombia has inadmitted approximately 90 foreign nationals nationwide for risks associated with sexual exploitation and conduct linked to trata de personas (human trafficking), a figure already approaching the 110 cases recorded for all of 2025. In Medellín alone, more than 60 inadmission procedures have been carried out so far this year, compared to 80 for all of 2025. The agency’s Regional Antioquia-Chocó office accounts for 63 of the 2026 cases.

Broader expulsion and deportation activity is running at a pace comparable to the previous year. Through May 23, the agency reported 310 expulsions or deportations of foreign citizens in 2026, comprising 157 deportations and 153 expulsions, compared to 1,652 cases recorded during all of 2025. Deportations were concentrated in the agency’s Nariño, Oriente, Atlántico, Eje Cafetero, Antioquia, and Andina regional offices, while expulsions were most frequent in Oriente, Andina, Antioquia, Nariño, and at the El Dorado station.

According to Arriero, expulsion and deportation decisions are taken in accordance with the Constitución Política de Colombia and applicable law, with due-process considerations, and respond to immigration violations, threats to public order or national security, judicial orders, and requirements from international organizations including the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). Migración Colombia retains discretionary authority under Decreto 2136 de 2021 to deny entry to or order the return of foreign citizens it determines pose risks to national security or public order.

Pattern of Recent Cases

The Casey Red Beard inadmission follows several high-profile expulsions earlier in 2026. In April, Migración Colombia expelled Steve Newland, a US citizen and social media operator known as “Chill Capo,” accused of promoting party experiences with alleged ties to sexual exploitation and of publishing content advising visitors on how to evade migration controls. The same month, the agency expelled Samuel McVey, a former teacher from New Rochelle, New York, following incidents at schools in the eastern Antioquia municipality of Rionegro and in the Las Palmas sector of Medellín. Migración Colombia also detected and again removed Russian citizen George Laevsky after he attempted to re-enter the country following an April expulsion linked to repeated disturbances at an apartment in the El Poblado sector.

Colombian authorities have framed the escalating enforcement as targeting precisely the use of social media and digital platforms to market tourism packages that allegedly conceal sexual exploitation, with women in conditions of economic vulnerability described as the principal victims. The agency has previously stated that prevention of Explotación Sexual Comercial de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes (ESCNNA) is a particular priority, citing cooperation with international intelligence agencies and the Angel Watch program, which has resulted in more than 470 entry denials since 2016 for reasons associated with sexual offenses.

Colombian authorities have seized and safely deactivated a commercial drone carrying improvised explosive materials just 5.4 kilometers from Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport and the nearby Military Air Transport Command (CATAM), raising fresh security concerns in the capital three weeks before the country’s May 31 presidential election.

The discovery marks a significant escalation from recent unauthorized drone sightings that twice forced temporary flight suspensions at El Dorado, Colombia’s busiest airport, and highlights growing fears that tactics once largely confined to conflict zones in the southwest and Catatumbo region are now reaching the capital.

According to preliminary police and military reports, the device was located in the locality of Kennedy, near the Río Bogotá, after a security alert issued by prosecutors in Popayán, Cauca, prompted specialized units of the Colombian Air Force (FAC) and National Police to track suspicious coordinates in southern Bogotá.

Authorities found what appeared to be a makeshift encampment before locating the commercial drone, its battery and an explosive charge separated from the fuselage.

Anti-explosives officers later confirmed the device had been modified with a non-conventional fiber-optic guidance system, a method increasingly used by illegal armed groups to evade electronic signal jammers designed to disable unmanned aircraft.

Investigators said the drone carried approximately 258 grams of C4 explosive material inside a PVC tube fitted with an improvised detonator.

The device was safely neutralized by National Police explosives experts and transferred to the Attorney General’s Office – Fiscalía General – for forensic analysis and the opening of a criminal investigation.

Authorities have not publicly identified those responsible or confirmed the intended target, but officials noted the location placed the drone within minutes of both El Dorado International Airport and CATAM, one of Colombia’s most strategic military aviation facilities.

Security analysts say the use of fiber-optic spools as a guidance mechanism resembles tactics recently documented in Catatumbo and southwestern Colombia, particularly among the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla and FARC dissident factions under the command of alias “Iván Mordisco.”

A similar drone equipped with the same system was discovered in Popayán on April 25 during a wave of attacks blamed on FARC dissidents in Cauca, while another was found the same day in Villavicencio, the departmental capital of Meta.

The appearance of such devices in Bogotá has raised alarm among security officials, particularly given the proximity to civilian and military aviation infrastructure.

Pilots and aviation experts warn that even small commercial drones can cause catastrophic damage if they collide with an aircraft during takeoff or landing. A drone carrying explosives near an airport runway significantly increases the potential for a large-scale tragedy.

The discovery also comes at a politically sensitive moment, with Colombia entering the final weeks before its presidential election on May 31, as security and public order remain dominant campaign issues amid rising violence in the departments of Antioquia, Chocó, and Norte de Santander.

The leftist government of President Gustavo Petro has faced intense criticism over deteriorating security conditions, particularly following road bombing attributed to illegal armed groups in Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Nariño and Catatumbo, where the use of drones for surveillance and attacks has become increasingly common.

Last month, drone sightings near El Dorado airport twice forced authorities to suspend all air operations, disrupting domestic and international flights and exposing vulnerabilities near the country’s principal air gateway.

On April 30, Aerocivil halted airport operations after the Colombian Aerospace Force confirmed the presence of a drone in the Engativá district near the airport perimeter. Two aircraft were forced to carry out missed approaches, including an international LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 arriving from Santiago, Chile, while another domestic flight was diverted to Armenia, Quindío.

Just two days earlier, on April 28, another drone was detected near El Dorado, triggering a 45-minute suspension of takeoffs and landings while military personnel deployed anti-drone systems and visual searches.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez later confirmed that operations had been temporarily canceled because of the possible drone sighting, although no confirmed target was found.

Aerocivil has repeatedly warned that unauthorized drone activity near airports represents a grave threat to aviation safety and can result in criminal prosecution.

Thursday’s discovery, however, suggests the threat may extend far beyond operational disruption.

For Bogotá, the concern is no longer simply rogue recreational drones interfering with airport traffic, but the possibility that explosive-equipped devices linked to Colombia’s armed conflict are now within reach of the nation’s capital – and its most critical infrastructure.

Colombia’s busiest airport, Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport, was forced to suspend operations early on Thursday after authorities detected a drone near the runway approach path, marking the second disruption in the same week and raising renewed concerns over aviation security at one of Latin America’s busiest air hubs.

The latest incident occurred at 5:20 a.m. local time when Colombia’s Aerospace Force confirmed the presence of an unauthorized drone in the Engativá district, near the airport’s operational perimeter, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil).

Authorities immediately activated emergency safety protocols, temporarily halting landings and departures while security teams assessed the airspace.

“A drone was detected near El Dorado airport in the Engativá sector. Two aircraft were forced to carry out missed approaches, a standard maneuver that guarantees operational safety,” Aerocivil said in a statement.

One of the affected aircraft was an international LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner arriving from Santiago, Chile, according to local media and flight tracking platform Flightradar24. The aircraft, which had departed Santiago late on Wednesday night and was scheduled to land in Bogotá around 4:30 a.m., was forced to circle above the capital before being cleared to land.

A second domestic Avianca flight also experienced disruption and was diverted to El Edén Airport in Armenia, Quindío, after it was unable to complete its descent into Bogotá.

Aerocivil said normal operations resumed at 5:44 a.m., after authorities secured the area and determined conditions were safe for aircraft movements.

“The improper use of drones near airports represents a serious risk to aviation safety,” the agency said, urging travelers to remain in contact with their airlines regarding possible schedule changes.
The incident follows a similar disruption on Tuesday night, when airport operations were suspended for approximately 45 minutes after another drone was detected flying above El Dorado’s international platform.

That alert was issued at approximately 6:36 p.m., prompting an immediate suspension of takeoffs and landings while anti-drone systems and visual inspections were deployed by aviation authorities and military personnel from CATAM, Bogotá’s military air transport command.
The airport concessionaire Opain and Aerocivil said the inspection protocols were necessary to ensure “an obstacle-free area” before flights could resume.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez later confirmed on social media platform X that operations had been halted due to a possible drone sighting and said military anti-drone mechanisms were activated, although no confirmed target was ultimately found.

“The situation was addressed immediately by the aeronautical authorities and the security devices in place, allowing normal operations to continue,” Sánchez said.

The repeated incidents have intensified scrutiny over security vulnerabilities surrounding El Dorado, which handles more than 35 million passengers annually and serves as Colombia’s principal international gateway.

Unauthorized drone activity near airports is prohibited under Colombian aviation regulations because of the risk of collision with commercial aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing phases when planes are most vulnerable. Pilots and aviation experts warn that even small consumer drones can cause catastrophic damage if they strike engines, cockpits or critical control surfaces.

The back-to-back disruptions have also raised concerns over whether current detection and enforcement systems are sufficient to prevent repeat incursions near strategic infrastructure.
El Dorado has increasingly faced operational pressures in recent months, including weather-related disruptions, runway congestion and recent investigations into near-miss incident on April 19 involving two international flagship carriers.

Thursday’s early-morning shutdown caused delays for both arriving and departing passengers, with travelers reporting uncertainty inside terminals and pilots informing passengers that security protocols, rather than airline operational issues, were behind the disruptions.
Authorities have not yet identified the drone operator involved in either of this week’s incidents, and investigations remain ongoing.

Under Colombian law, unauthorized drone operations near airports can result in significant financial penalties and potential criminal investigations if public safety is endangered.
For now, aviation officials say stricter vigilance is essential.

A Qatar Airways cargo jet and a Lufthansa passenger plane came within an estimated 200 meters of each other on final approach to Bogotá on Sunday evening, in a near miss that could have resulted in a major airline catastrophe.

The incident unfolded near El Dorado International Airport as both aircraft were being guided toward runway 32L during a late-evening arrival window. According to preliminary information, Qatar Airways cargo flight QTR 8174, operated by a Boeing 777 from São Paulo, was descending to approximately 9,600 feet when it converged with Lufthansa flight DLH 542.

The Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt Airport, operated by a Boeing 787 -900 ‘Dreamliner’ carrying some 270 passengers, had departed at 3:08 p.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Bogotá at 11:51 p.m. local time. As it approached the Colombian capital, the aircraft turning at roughly 9,700 feet, placing it on a dangerously converging path with the Qatar Airways freighter.

The two wide-body aircraft, each spanning more than 60 metres in length, were both landing from the East, and were above the residential neighbourhood of Modelia, according to late-night eyewitness reports.

Under standard air traffic control procedures, aircraft must maintain a minimum vertical separation of 1,000 feet, 0r 300 metres. The apparent compression of that buffer to an estimated 600 feet suggests a significant breakdown in sequencing or communication during the critical end-phase of a flight.

Disaster was averted when the Lufthansa aircraft abruptly climbed to over 12,000 feet, executing what appears to have been an emergency “Go-Around” avoidance manoeuvre. Such actions are typically triggered by onboard collision avoidance systems, which issue automated instructions to pilots when another aircraft is detected at dangerously close range. The manoeuvre forced the passenger flight to abort its initial landing approach before safely completing a second descent into Bogotá. No injuries were reported.

However, the near miss has renewed scrutiny over air traffic control operations in the Colombian capital, following another serious safety incident just two months earlier.

On February 20, a LATAM Airlines flight operated by an Airbus A320 carrying 157 passengers was forced to abort take-off after a military helicopter appeared unexpectedly near the runway at El Dorado International Airport.

According to Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, the aircraft—bound for San Andrés—had been cleared for departure after routine taxi procedures. At 17:04 local time, the plane was authorized for pushback from position C5, and by 17:13 it had been instructed to taxi toward runway 14R.

At 17:36, after receiving clearance for take-off, the crew initiated the departure roll. Moments later, pilots detected a rotary-wing aircraft flying on a parallel trajectory and approaching the runway environment. The unexpected presence of the helicopter forced the crew to execute an aborted take-off, a high-risk manoeuvre at speed, in order to avoid a potential collision.

Aerocivil attributed the incident to interference in the communication frequency of the airport’s north control tower, raising concerns about coordination between different air traffic control sectors. The episode, involving a commercial jet accelerating for departure and an unauthorized or mis-coordinated helicopter movement, has been classified as a serious operational safety event.

Together, the two incidents have cast a spotlight on the operational pressures facing El Dorado International Airport (SKBO), which handles hundreds of daily movements and serves as one of the busiest aviation hubs in Latin America. Bogotá’s high-altitude location—more than 2,600 metres above sea level—combined with surrounding mountainous terrain, requires tightly managed flight paths and precise coordination between controllers and pilots.

Sunday’s late evening incident involving two long-range aircraft is expected to undergo a detailed investigation, including analysis of radar data, cockpit voice recordings and air traffic communications.

On Monday, Colombia’s Aerocivil, affirmed that the event did not constitute a critical safety risk. In an official statement, the authority said runway 32 Right had been temporarily unavailable due to a third aircraft blocking the strip, prompting controllers to redirect incoming traffic—including the Qatar Airways and Lufthansa flights—to runway 32 Left.

Aerocivil said the change in instructions led to a reduction in speed that decreased horizontal separation between the two aircraft during the approach phase. However, it stressed that “controlled and safe vertical separation was maintained at all times.”

According to Aerocivil , the Lufthansa crew’s decision to abort the landing was carried out “independently” and in line with standard global aviation protocols. “This is a normal and standardised procedure in aviation, designed precisely to guarantee safety when visual or distance parameters so require,” the statement said.

The technical analysis, Aerocivil added, confirms that the situation was “an operational event managed under control” and “at no time represented a critical situation or a real risk to air safety for passengers or crew.”

The authority also urged the public and political actors not to “exaggerate or politicise” what it described as a strictly technical matter, warning that reliance on unofficial sources could generate unfounded alarm and affect confidence in Colombia’s aviation sector.

New 10% tariff on finished aluminum windows forces EBITDA revision of ~$50M

Barranquilla-based window and architectural glass manufacturer Tecnoglass, Inc. (NYSE: TGLS) has revised its full-year 2026 financial guidance following the April 2 announcement of updated US trade policy that introduced a 10% tariff on finished aluminum window products imported into the United States.

The company stated that its first quarter 2026 performance was in line with internal expectations, supported by continued order activity and a record project backlog. Those results, the company indicated, support the continuation of its previously stated expectation of strong double-digit full-year revenue growth. However, the tariff development — which was not incorporated into the original 2026 guidance issued February 26, 2026 — required a revision to Adjusted EBITDA projections.

“We are executing at a high level to start 2026, with first quarter performance in line with our expectations and continued strength across our residential and commercial platforms. Our record backlog and strong order activity provide excellent visibility, and we continue to gain market share supported by our differentiated vertically integrated model and industry-leading cost structure. The developments in U.S. trade policy applicable to aluminum-containing imports do not reflect any change in our competitive positioning or underlying demand environment. We have proactively restructured our supply chain over the past several years to significantly reduce raw material tariff exposure, and our platform remains advantaged within our industry,” said CEO José Manuel Daes.

Tecnoglass is now guiding for full-year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA in the range of $225 million USD to $245 million USD. The updated range reflects an estimated net incremental impact of approximately $50 million USD compared to the midpoint of the company’s previously stated guidance, attributable to the newly applied 10% tariff on certain finished aluminum window imports into the US market.

The April 2 White House announcement updated Section 232 metals tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper imports, and expanded the applicability of those tariffs to finished goods and certain derivative products containing those metals. The action affects Tecnoglass and other aluminum window exporters that ship products into the United States.

In response, Tecnoglass says it has implemented pricing adjustments effective on orders placed beginning in early May, the benefit of which is expected to materialize in the second half of 2026. The company is also advancing operational efficiency measures including logistics improvements, increased automation, and workforce adjustments. The revised guidance also accounts for the potential effect of sustained elevated aluminum prices in the second half of the year.

“The developments in US trade policy applicable to aluminum-containing imports do not reflect any change in our competitive positioning or underlying demand environment. We have proactively restructured our supply chain over the past several years to significantly reduce raw material tariff exposure.” – CEO José Manuel Daes

Santiago Giraldo, Chief Financial Officer of Tecnoglass, added, “The change to our full year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA expectations is entirely a result of the revised U.S. tariff framework, which was not contemplated in our original guidance. We have already announced pricing actions that will start with orders in early May, and we are advancing additional efficiency initiatives, including automation and logistics optimization, to further mitigate the anticipated net impact of tariffs disclosed today. These actions, combined with our strong margin profile and disciplined cost management, position us to partially offset the tariff impact as we move through the year and fully neutralize it in 2027. Our updated outlook reflects this discrete policy-driven headwind and does not change our confidence in the trajectory of the business. We remain well positioned to drive growth, expand margins over time, and continue delivering industry-leading financial performance.”

A more comprehensive update, including first quarter results and a full restatement of 2026 guidance, is expected in early May.

Tecnoglass operates a 5.8 million square foot vertically integrated manufacturing complex in Barranquilla, Colombia, and counts the United States as its dominant market, representing approximately 95% of total revenues. The company describes itself as the second-largest glass fabricator serving the US market and the largest architectural glass transformation company in Latin America. Its products have been specified for notable projects including One Thousand Museum and Paramount in Miami, Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, and Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado in Bogotá.

 

Drones may now be seized upon a traveler’s entry into Colombia, unless specific conditions are met.

Colombia has modified the rules for bringing drones and their spare parts into the country for security reasons. The measure was established through Resolution 000242 of 2025 issued by the Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales (DIAN) and has been in effect since January 11, 2026.

The regulation was adopted “with the objective of preventing the illegal entry of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) and mitigating the risks associated with their misuse.” According to the DIAN in a press release, the provisions aim to “strengthen national security against the possible use of these devices in criminal activities, such as indiscriminate attacks against security forces and the civilian population.”

Under the directive, drones may enter the country through two mechanisms. The first is by submitting an Advance Import Declaration (Declaración Anticipada de Importaciones, by its Spanish name), which must be filed five calendar days before travel through the Customs Services (Servicio de Aduanas) section of the official DIAN website at www.dian.gov.co. The second option is to complete DIAN Form 530 upon arrival in the country.

In both cases, travelers must present the original purchase invoice, declare the intended use of the drone, and pay the corresponding import taxes, regardless of the price already paid for the equipment in the country of purchase. In some cases, DIAN may also request an inspection of the device.

The regulation establishes that drones or their parts may only enter the country if they comply with this standard import procedure.

Another key aspect of the resolution is that drones may only enter Colombia through two authorized entry points: the port of Cartagena and El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá. If a drone is brought into the country through any other location, customs authorities may seize it.

DIAN also clarified that travelers should “refrain from bringing this type of merchandise under the traveler import modality.” If they attempt to do so, customs authorities will require the change of modality so that the device can be processed through ordinary import procedures, provided that the arrival occurred through the authorized entry points. Entry through other locations is not permitted and could result in the seizure of the merchandise.

Additionally, the resolution states that drones cannot enter the country through postal shipments or express courier services, meaning international deliveries of these devices may be subject to confiscation.

Retail companies may continue selling drones in the Colombian market, provided they comply with import procedures and pay the applicable taxes. However, these requirements may lead to delays and additional costs for final consumers.

According to the magazine Cambio Colombia, the measure responds to the growing use of drones in criminal activities. These “recreational or productive technologies have begun appearing in high-risk scenarios such as illegal surveillance, the transport of explosives, criminal intelligence operations, and even attacks against security forces.”

Defense Minister, Major General (ret.) Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez Suárez, confirmed that 162 drone attacks against security forces were recorded in the country during the past year. According to the minister, the resolution will make it possible to “know exactly who is purchasing drones and what their intended purpose and use are. This will allow us to protect the population and prevent a tool designed for progress and development from being used to kill Colombians.”

In general terms, Resolution 000242 establishes three main rules for bringing drones into Colombia:

1. Mandatory advance declaration for importers, including travelers.
2. Restriction of entry to two authorized points: the port of Cartagena and El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
3. A total ban on postal or express courier shipments of drones.

Additionally, drones that weigh more than 250 grams or are used for professional activities must be registered with Aerocivil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority. Failure to register the device or operating it without authorization may result in fines.

Above photo: DJI drone courtesy DJI