NYC-Born Influencer Wendy Durán Jailed in Colombia on Weapons Charges After Rent Seizure Finds Rifle, Pistols

Wendy Durán, a New York City-born content creator who posts fitness and lifestyle videos from Colombia, has been jailed in Cali on weapons charges after authorities carrying out a court-ordered property seizure over unpaid rent found a rifle, two pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, cash and drugs in the house where she lived, according to Colombian prosecutors and multiple news reports. Durán has pleaded not guilty.

The New York Post reported on Saturday, Oct. 24, that a spokesperson for Colombia's Attorney General's Office confirmed Durán was born in Manhattan and also holds Colombian citizenship. The Post gave her age as 24. TMZ followed with its own report the same day, citing the Post.

A rent dispute that turned into a weapons case

The search began as a civil matter. Caracol Radio reported that a civil court had ordered a seizure proceeding at the home in Pance, a sector in the south of Cali, over the alleged failure to pay rent, with officials tasked with listing household property that could be subject to the court order. During that inspection, authorities found firearms and ammunition, and police arrested Durán in flagrante, the station reported.

According to the New York Post, officers first spotted two 9mm Glock pistols on a table next to a television in the living room. El Tiempo, citing the Attorney General's Office, reported that authorities found 977 rounds of 5.56-caliber ammunition in a closet, along with a U.S.-made Colt rifle of the same caliber, the two Glocks, a magazine holding 35 cartridges, two holographic sights and a light and laser attachment.

Investigators also seized $4,844 in cash, a money-counting machine, two digital scales, a cell phone, two laptops and narcotics, according to prosecutors as reported by both outlets. El Tiempo said the type and quantity of the drugs were not specified, and the New York Post reported that Durán has not been charged with drug possession. Asked whether she had permits for the weapons, Durán said she did not, according to the official account cited by El Tiempo and the Post.

Caracol Radio reported that, according to an expert report cited by prosecutors at the hearing, the Colt carbine was in good working order and capable of firing.

Charges, a not-guilty plea and pretrial detention

A prosecutor from the Attorney General's specialized anti-money-laundering directorate charged Durán with manufacturing, trafficking and carrying firearms and ammunition, El Tiempo and Caracol Radio reported. She did not accept the charges, and a judge ordered her held in a detention facility while the case proceeds.

"Investigations are ongoing to determine the content creator's potential involvement in other criminal acts, as well as the origin and intended destination of the items discovered," the Attorney General's Office said, as quoted by the New York Post.

Reports differ on when the arrest took place. The New York Post and TMZ said police and a judge went to the home on Monday, which would be Oct. 19. El Tiempo's Oct. 23 profile of Durán described her as captured on Friday, Oct. 23, the same day El Tiempo and Caracol Radio published reports on the case.

What comes next in the Colombian case

Publimetro Colombia reported that prosecutors must now continue the investigation and decide whether they have enough evidence to file a formal indictment. If they do, Colombian criminal procedure calls for an indictment hearing, a preparatory hearing and then an oral trial, the outlet said, adding that no date for an indictment hearing has been made public. Publimetro also noted that pretrial detention is a preventive measure, not a conviction, and that declining to accept charges does not amount to an acquittal.

An Instagram presence built on fitness and lifestyle content

Durán posts on Instagram as "sociallywendyy," where she has about 8,000 followers, according to the New York Post and El Tiempo. El Tiempo reported that she has published content about healthy living, exercise and training tips since 2017, that many of her videos are recorded in English, and that her posts show her dividing her time between Colombia and the United States. The Post reported that she also marketed content services to brands, quoting her description: "I create authentic content that captures attention, builds trusts, and drives results."

In an Oct. 5 post cited by the Post, Durán wrote, "I moved from NY to Colombia and somehow, this became my life!" After news of the arrest spread, followers reacted to the case in comments on her posts, according to both the Post and El Tiempo. None of the reports included a public statement from Durán or from an attorney representing her.