Live
Audio Only
One of Mexico's most ruthless and infamous female assassins has been detained by federal police in Baja California while attempting to board a flight to Culiacan, Sinaloa, which is the cradle to about 80 percent of Mexican drug traffickers.
Melissa Margarita Calderon, better known by her nickname “La China”, was arrested Saturday at Los Cabos International Airport accused of being directly and indirectly responsible for more than 150 violent crimes, including nine homicides she allegedly committed personally.
La China's career as a “sicaria” – as assassins are called in northern Mexico and Colombia – began years ago when she dated a member of Los Damaso, a heavily armed and well trained group of people that work under the orders of Los Antrax, the enforcement cell of the Sinaloa cartel of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
RELATED: El Chapo Guzman Had a Contract Out for DEA Official’s Head
The Baja California Sur Secretary General Alvaro de la Peña, told Televisa, that Calderon was wanted for various federal crimes, but specifically noted that statewide she was sought after for a homicide in La Paz in January.
Newsletter
Imagen de Melissa Margarita Calderón Ojeda "la china" jefa de sicarios detenida pic.twitter.com/hf77TbEyDn
— Gus (@criminal_case_)
September 20, 2015
"Thanks to the exchange of intelligence and information between all the integrated agencies in the state we were able to detain her in a totally clean manner, without a shot being fired," he told Fox News.
According news outlet mySA (My San Antonio, Texas), Mike Vigil, former DEA chief of international operations, explained that the Damaso cell is formed by about 1,500 members who have received training in military tactics and are responsible for special operations within Los Antrax.
La China, 31, was in charge of a sub-unit formed by some 50 special forces.
"She proved her intestinal fortitude in killing people," Vigil said. "She is highly revered and she is a ruthless cold-blooded killer."
The head and founder of Los Antrax, Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa, better known as “El Chino Antrax” was detained in the Netherlands in Dec. 30, 2013. Experts say he was captured due to his wide use of social media networks, through which he flaunted his exploits.
RELATED: El Chapo Still in Sinaloa, Colombians Out to Kill Him
El Chino and his Antrax gang members are highly feared in all the northwestern region of Mexico.
He was later extradited to the United States where he pleaded guilty in May to helping smuggle marijuana and cocaine into the country.
The U.S. Attorney General's office recently released a statement saying Arechiga-Gamboa had also admitted to being "a direct participant in, and communicated to other members of the Sinaloa Cartel, orders to commit acts of violence or threats of violence."
“Melissa Margarita Calderon Ojeda “La China” of the Damaso Special Forces is arrested.” One photo says, “Yo take care of me, I take care of you, you betray me, I kill you.”
Detienen a Melissa Margarita Calderón Ojeda "la china" de las Fuerzas Especiales Damaso pic.twitter.com/rYSWkMKnBL
— Gus (@criminal_case_)
September 19, 2015
But La China is not the only high-level female drug cartel member in Mexico. In fact, there have been many, such as The Queen of the Pacific. However, there is only one female who is actually the leader of a drug cartel. Her name is Enedina Arellano Felix. She took over the Tijuana cartel after her son was arrested and her brothers either murdered or jailed.
DEA officials have described her as a scholar and a proficient accountant.
Enedina is known as “La Jefa” or “The Boss,” and has saved the Tijuana cartel from vanishing.
"This is not an Equal Opportunity Employer," said Vigil. “This is a male dominated field of work. There have been very few women to break that glass ceiling. The few who do have to be just as vicious and skilled as the men."
