Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodriguez, a 23-year-old known as “La Muñeca” or “The Doll,” has been arrested in Colombia, accused of orchestrating a series of gang-related murders, including the ambush killing of her ex-boyfriend. The arrest marks a dramatic turn in the career of a woman considered the most feared assassin in the Santander region.
Authorities apprehended Rodriguez in a high-stakes operation that also captured two alleged accomplices, including a minor. Police seized high-caliber weapons during the raid, believed to have been used in several murders linked to the notorious Los de la M gang. Lieutenant Colonel Mauricio Herrera confirmed the arrests, calling them a significant step in dismantling one of the region’s deadliest criminal networks.
Rodriguez, whose glamorous appearance earned her the nickname “The Doll,” is accused of running a network of hitmen, spreading fear across Barrancabermeja and beyond. Among her alleged victims is her ex-boyfriend, Deyvy Jesus, who was ambushed and killed on July 23 in Piedecuesta. Investigators claim Rodriguez lured him into the fatal encounter under the pretense of resolving a financial dispute, only for him to be gunned down by two men on motorcycles—an attack she allegedly ordered.
During the operation, police seized a revolver and a 9mm pistol, now undergoing ballistic tests to link them to recent homicides. Video footage of Rodriguez’s arrest shows her being led away in handcuffs, her piercing gaze fixed on the camera.
Nicknamed “fatal beauty” by local media, Rodriguez’s reputation as a key figure in gangland killings has shaken Santander. Her arrest comes as Bucaramanga, Santander’s capital, grapples with soaring homicide rates, recording 30 murders in the first quarter of the year alone.
Rodriguez and her accomplices are now in the custody of the Attorney General’s office, where they await formal charges. Meanwhile, her arrest has sparked both relief and fear, as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle the region’s deeply entrenched criminal networks.
