The TikToker daughter of a notorious gang boss has been arrested over an alleged £19.5million money-laundering operation.
Michelle Jamileth Macías Peñarrieta, 23, known online as Queen Michelle, was detained alongside her mum Inda Mariela Peñarrieta Tuárez in Sabana de Torres, Colombia, on Sunday (27 September).
The pair were wanted by Ecuadorian authorities under Interpol Red Notices in connection with the “Blanqueo Fito” money-laundering case.
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Michelle had amassed more than 65million followers on TikTok, where she posted singing and dancing videos.
She has also released music, including a 2023 song dedicated to her father, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as Fito.
Other posts linked to her accounts have featured bundles of cash, vehicles and luxury items, as reported by Need To Know.
One video that resurfaced following her arrest appears to show a large amount of cash.
Fito was the leader of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s biggest criminal organisations, and was extradited to the US last year on drug-trafficking charges.
Ecuadorian authorities allege Michelle and her mother were involved in laundering money for the gang through companies.
The case reportedly involves financial movements worth more than US$25.8million (£19.5million).
The women had reportedly been living at a ranch in Sabana de Torres for around four months before their arrests.
The operation involved Colombian police, the army and prosecutors alongside the FBI and Ecuadorian authorities.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa praised the operation, writing: “This is how it’s done, Abelardo: working together and delivering results. We arrested them in Colombia, and they will face justice in Ecuador.”
He claimed the pair were facing trial over money laundering for Los Choneros, alleging the money was used to “buy weapons, pay hitmen and fund extortion”.
The women are expected to be returned to Ecuador, where officials have said they will be held at the maximum-security La Roca prison in Guayaquil.
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