A New York City-born fitness influencer was arrested in Cali, Colombia, after police who came to her home to collect an unpaid rent bill stumbled on a cache of guns, ammunition, cash and drugs, authorities said.
Wendy Durán, 24, was taken into custody on Monday at her apartment in the upscale Pance neighbourhood of Cali, where officers from the National Police and a judge had arrived to serve an asset-seizure warrant to recover outstanding rent payments, Colombia's Attorney General's Office said.
Two Glocks in plain sight
As soon as they stepped inside, officers spotted two 9mm Glock pistols lying on a table next to a television in the living room, officials said.
Durán told officers she did not have a permit to possess or carry a firearm, and she was placed under arrest as police searched the rest of the home.
Inside a closet, investigators allegedly found a US-made 5.56-calibre Colt rifle hidden away, along with a magazine holding 35 rounds, two holographic sights and a laser attachment.
Officers also confiscated $4,844 in cash, a money-counting machine, two digital scales, a cell phone, two laptops and drugs, officials said. Authorities did not specify what type of narcotics were allegedly found.
Not guilty plea — and a wider probe
Durán pleaded not guilty to charges of manufacturing, trafficking and carrying firearms and ammunition, according to Colombia's Attorney General's Office. She remains in custody and has not been charged with possessing drugs.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office told the New York Post that Wendy Durán was born in Manhattan and also holds Colombian citizenship. The fitness creator, known on Instagram as @sociallywendyy, has around 8,000 followers and describes her brand as creating "authentic content that captures attention, builds trust, and drives results."
Prosecutors said investigations are ongoing to determine the origin and intended destination of the weapons — and whether the content creator has wider criminal ties, a probe that could raise cross-border legal and consular questions.
Why it matters
What began as a routine visit over an unpaid rent bill has turned into an international arms-trafficking case: a US-born influencer with dual citizenship, a stash of American-made weapons in a Colombian living room, and investigators now tracing where the guns came from — and where they were headed.
Reporting based on the New York Post, TMZ, Particle News and Colombia's Attorney General's Office.