Feared 22 Year-old Colombian Hitwoman 'La Muñeca' Arrested and Paraded Before Cameras at Press Conference

A 22-year-old woman, described as one of the most dangerous assassins in the Colombian department of Santander, went viral this week. Known by the nickname "La Muñeca," which means doll in English, she went viral on social media thanks to the video of her arrest and press conference appearance.

The images, which surfaced this week, show Karen Juliet Ojeda Rodriguez as the alleged leader of a network of sicarios operating in the region. La Muñeca was arrested in the municipality of Barrancabermeja along with another man. According to authorities, both suspects are behind a series of homicides in Santander.

Despite her young age, La Muñeca is believed to be one of the leaders of a violent organization known as "Los de la M," a criminal group that has terrorized the area with homicides, extortions and drug trafficking. Besides securing the arrests, authorities seized one handgun and a motorcycle.

According to Colombian officials, she was a key member of the criminal organization, and in charge of coordinating attacks for the gang led by John Jairo Fernández Portala, also known as "Marihuano." Authorities believe that even after Portala's arrest in Dec. 2022, he continued to lead the organization from prison and that she was his second in command.

Barrancabermeja officials announced days before the arrest that 350 new law enforcement units would reinforce the city and conduct special operations to curb extortion cases. As of December, the municipality recorded 120 homicides as well as an increase in robberies and other crimes due to territorial conflicts between Los de la M and other regional gangs.

The story of La Muñeca

According to journalist Jacobo Solano Cerchiaro, La Muñeca has been part of Los de la M since she was just 18 years of age. He described Ojeda Rodríguez as a "cold-blooded individual" and said she is allegedly responsible for multiple homicides, including one of her former partners.

Authorities believe she was in charge of managing illicit activities for the gang in the states of Bucaramanga, Piedecuesta and in the municipality of Barrancabermeja, but journalists say she also had influences in the city of Cúcuta.

Besides being the right-hand of Fernández Portala, authorities say she was also the current romantic partner of Marihuano.

Fernández Portala leads the M gang, a feared organization, from behind bars. She used to visit him in jail, where they would plan future attacks," Cerchiaro declared. The journalist further stated that the woman would alter her hairstyle and color to evade detection by the authorities.

Cerchiaro added that La Muñeca was arrested after she tried to murder one of her ex-boyfriends, Devvy Jesús García Palomino, alias "Orejas" after the couple had a feud over payments for their illicit businesses in Santander.

The journalist claimed that just before Colombian officials captured her, Ojeda Rodriguez had ordered someone close to Orejas to kill him through one of her friends and accomplices, identified as Paula Valentina Joya Rueda, who was her assistant.

La Muñeca is also the main suspect in a homicide that took place on July 21, where a man that has been identified as one of her former partners was murdered in a rural area of Santander.