Colombia’s ‘Doll’ Arrest: Police Say a 23-Year-Old Orchestrated Hits, Including Her Ex’s Murder

Authorities in Colombia say Karen Julieth Ojeda Rodríguez, 23, known as “La Muñeca” (“The Doll”), was arrested in early December on allegations she coordinated contract killings for the Los de la M gang and helped set up the murder of her ex-boyfriend in July. Police reported seizing a 9mm pistol and a revolver during the operation and are testing the weapons against recent homicides in Barrancabermeja, a city battered by drug-war killings this year.

What police allege

Investigators describe Ojeda Rodríguez as a youthful face with a senior role: not a trigger-puller, but a coordinator who relayed orders to sicarios, managed target selection, and handled logistics for a network tied to drug trafficking and extortion in Santander. They say she rose quickly within Los de la M, operating in hot spots like Barrancabermeja and Piedecuesta, where rivalries over territory and revenue have fueled violence.

The July killing at the center

Prosecutors allege she lured her ex-boyfriend, Deyvy Jesús García Palomino (“Orejas”), to a rural meeting on July 23 under the guise of settling a money dispute. When he arrived, two shooters on a motorcycle attacked at close range; he later died at the hospital. Investigators point to recovered messages to argue the meetup was a setup arranged in advance, and they claim she and an accomplice received roughly 4 million pesos—about $1,000—for the hit.

The December takedown

Police announced her capture following a targeted early-December sweep, framing it as a blow to Los de la M’s homicide pipeline.

Alongside Ojeda Rodríguez, officers detained an alleged accomplice known as “Gorda Sicaria” who purportedly passed orders to gunmen, and a man identified as “Leopoldo.”

Forensic tests on the seized weapons aim to link the guns to crime scenes amid a year marked by more than a hundred killings in Barrancabermeja, according to media cited by authorities.

A clear timeline

• July 23: Ex-boyfriend “Orejas” shot after a rural meetup; he dies in hospital the same day. Authorities later cite phone messages as evidence of premeditation.
• Late 2024: Police publicly identify “La Muñeca” as an alleged coordinator within Los de la M tied to multiple homicides in Santander.
• Early December 2025: Targeted operation results in the arrests of Ojeda Rodríguez and alleged accomplices; police seize a 9mm pistol and a revolver for ballistic testing.

Why the case resonates

The contrast between the “Doll” moniker and the accusations of top-level murder coordination has fueled global attention, while the intimate ex-partner setup adds a personal dimension to an already combustible gang narrative. Authorities caution that ballistic and judicial proceedings are ongoing, but they characterize the arrests as a significant hit to a group blamed for a wave of killings in the region.