The partner of a missing American Airlines flight attendant is speaking out as authorities in Colombia and the United States continue searching for answers following the man’s disappearance in Medellín, as reported by The New York Post.

Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina, 32, who was based out of Dallas-Fort Worth, failed to report for a scheduled Medellín-to-Miami flight Sunday morning after spending time in the city with co-workers the night before.

Officials have raised concerns that he may have been drugged prior to his disappearance.

His partner, Ernesto Carranza, said the situation has left him in distress as he continues to wait for updates.

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“I want to believe that he’s alive, and I want to continue believing that he’s alive, but throughout each day you wake up not knowing anything, and it makes the days go by longer and slower,” Carranza told CBS News on Thursday.

Carranza said his concern grew early Sunday when he was unable to reach Gutierrez Molina despite the flight attendant having both a work phone and a personal phone.

He later noticed unusual phone activity that appeared to place his partner in two different locations.

“Both locations were nowhere near where he was supposed to sleep for the night,” Carranza said.

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One of the phone signals was traced to an Airbnb in Medellín’s El Poblado neighborhood, approximately 12 miles from the city’s airport. Carranza said he had spoken with his partner before he went out that evening with colleagues.

“Have a good night, be safe, I love you,” Carranza recalled telling him.

“And he just messaged back, ‘ok I love you back I’m going to go out and hang with my crews,’” Carranza told NBC5.

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A colleague who was with Gutierrez Molina that night told Colombian outlet Telemedellin that the group met two men at a club before deciding to continue the night elsewhere.

The colleague, Sharom Gil, described the emotional impact of the disappearance.

“I’m missing a part of me. He’s the most joyful person to ever be around. We’re so lost right now,” she said.

Gil added that messages sent to Gutierrez Molina’s phone are no longer being received, despite knowing the last known location.

Authorities in Medellín have indicated that individuals believed to have been with the flight attendant have a history of theft involving the drug scopolamine, often referred to as “Devil’s breath.”

The substance has been linked to incidents targeting tourists in nightlife settings.

According to warnings issued by the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, the drug is tasteless and odorless and can be mixed into drinks.

“If ingested or exposed, scopolamine can render a victim unconscious for up to 24 hours or more,” the embassy said.

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Officials say vehicles and phones connected to potential suspects have been identified.

Missing person reports have been filed with both Colombian authorities and U.S. agencies, and Gutierrez Molina’s father has traveled to Colombia as part of the ongoing search.

Former FBI agent Ken Gray said federal authorities can assist but cannot take the lead in a foreign investigation.

“The FBI cannot do an investigation on their own inside a foreign country. Instead, they work with the police in that country, the national police usually in that country,” Gray said.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue coordinating efforts across jurisdictions.

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