• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Colombia

Overcoming Colombia’s Reputation As A Drug Capital

Matt Chilliak by Matt Chilliak
Feb 03, 2015
in Colombia, Travel
0
overview of rooftops and mountains in Medellin Colombia
209
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

That’s Spanish For Cocaine, Right?

“Coca… That’s Spanish for cocaine, right?” the TSA agent asked me as he read the package and eyed the dozen individually wrapped bags he had removed from my carry-on.

“I don’t know, maybe,” I lied. Of course I knew. Everyone knows that the original Coca-Cola recipe contained cocaine, thus the “coca” part of the famous brand name.

Play dumb. That’s always been my go-to for dealing with border agents during the “random” extra screenings I am subjected to when crossing American and Canadian borders. I’ve come to suspect that there is nothing random about these screenings. Airport screenings may be the only instance when a young, well-presented white male is subjected to racial profiling. In other words, I guess I look like a typical drug smuggler.

Usually playing dumb works. Even if I have one too many bottles of rum or an extra pack of cigarettes in my bag, Canadian border agents usually shrug their shoulders and say, “Welcome home,” leaving me free to move on with my contraband. But not this time. This time I was traveling from Colombia, land of Pablo Escobar, flying through the United States on my way to Canada, and the TSA agents had their antennae up.

“I’m going to have to go test these. You wait here,” the agent instructed me as he walked away with my packages.

While I waited, the second agent continued pilfering through my belongings: underwear, toothbrush, a copy of Foreign Affairs, some Colombian candies I had purchased for my kid sister. Nothing interesting. Nothing to support his suspicion that I was a drug mule.

“Unlock your smartphone,” he ordered.

I complied. What choice did I have? Then the agent huddled over his desk inspecting my call and chat histories and personal photos.

“Anything interesting, officer?” I asked.

“No. Nice-looking girls you met down there,” the officer offered in a slightly creepy tone.

The first TSA agent returned with my packages. One of the bags was torn open, the contents having been tested. Oh, no, I thought. This is it. I’ve been busted for bringing cocaine into the United States, and I’m going to jail for a long, long time. What will my mother think when she finds out… I’ll never be able to find employment as an ex-con… My mind raced. My heart stopped.

“Well, it turns out there is nothing illegal about this coca tea you have here,” the TSA agent finally said. “You’re free to go. Welcome to America.”

My heart resumed beating. My mind cleared. How silly for me to get so worked up over some harmless coca tea I’d bought from some kind little old ladies outside a church in Bogota. Little old ladies wouldn’t sell me actual cocaine. And they hadn’t.

Coca tea is made from coca leaves, a completely different product from processed cocaine, harmless and, yes, legal. Doctors even recommend it for treating the symptoms of altitude sickness.

In fact, my entire time visiting Bogota, nowhere did I encounter cocaine. The little old ladies looked nothing at all like cocaine cartel members, and their tea resembled nothing close to cocaine.

The only time I heard about drugs during my visit was when two obnoxious Western tourists were busted smoking a marijuana cigarette on the public street in front of my hostel. Luckily for them, Colombia has relaxed penalties against personal possession of small amounts of marijuana, and the cops who busted them let them off with a warning.

Still, Cheech and Chong were oblivious. “C’mon man, I thought this was Colombia. You know, Escobar and all that. What’s the big deal?” they asked, unaware of how fortunate they were to have gotten off with only a warning.

Apparently, no one told them Escobar’s dead and Colombia has moved on, leaving behind its stereotype of cocaine cartels and the violence that went along with them.

Apparently, no one has told those U.S. TSA agents either.

Matt Chilliak

Continue Reading: Exemption From State Taxes For U.S. Citizens Overseas

Tags: cocaine in colombiacolombia cartelsDrug lorddrug mulesdrug smugglingDrugs In ColombiaMatt ChilliakPablo Escobartsau.s. border crossing
Share84Tweet52
Previous Post

Exemption From State Taxes For U.S. Citizens Overseas

Next Post

Property Investment In Cali, Colombia

Matt Chilliak

Matt Chilliak

Matt Chilliak is a political organizer from Saskatoon, Canada, currently based in Massachusetts. He holds an honors degree in political studies with minors in economics and Spanish from the University of Saskatchewan. A former Live and Invest Overseas editor and an active LIOS editor-at-large, Matt explores the investment opportunities that arise from changes in the political and policy landscapes around the world. He also writes about everything and anything Panama.

Related Posts

Mangrove trees grow on the beach in crystal clear tropical water in Las Terrenas beach, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic

Top 10 Things To Do In Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

by Kathleen Peddicord
June 29, 2022
0

As international travel is back in earnest, we're reminding ourselves of the places we most like to be... and making...

Read more
Porto, Portugal

Where (And Why) Should You Buy Property Overseas In 2022?

June 15, 2022
An image of Medellin, Colombia to the left and Cuenca, Ecuador to the right

Expat Life In Medellín, Colombia Vs. Cuenca, Ecuador

June 8, 2022
Panama City, Panama to the left and Medellin, Colombia to the right, comparison

Comparing Panama And Colombia: Living, Retiring, Investing

June 3, 2022
Marsaxlokk bay harbour of Malta, with beautiful architecture and boats at dusk

The 7 Best Places To Travel In Summer 2022

May 29, 2022
Exotic wooden huts on the water, Maldives

How To Move Overseas Despite A Pandemic

May 24, 2022
Rocks in the water next to the sandy beach in Ecuador

The Best Places To Retire In Latin America

May 23, 2022
Next Post
Medellin, Colombia

Property Investment In Cali, Colombia

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.







LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

Sign up for FREE and learn how to live the good life on a modest budget, find bargain property, and more. Plus, check out our free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE.

RETIRE OVERSEAS AND LIVE LIKE ROYALTY

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…