Melissa Margarita Calderón Ojeda was born on August 12, 1984, in Mexico to José Alfredo Calderón Cota and Alma Guadalupe Ojeda Angulo. Very little is publicly documented about her early life before entering the world of organized crime. Her criminal career began in 2005 when she became associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations. Calderón quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became a prominent figure within the group, reportedly leading "Las Fuerzas Especiales de Los Dámaso," an enforcement arm that answered directly to high-ranking boss Dámaso López Núñez. Her leadership style and feared reputation earned her the nickname "La China," and she became notorious within the criminal underworld for her role in coordinating violent operations.

Calderón’s ascent in the cartel was marked by internal strife and violence. After being removed from her position by a cartel leader known as "El Grande," who also killed her first boyfriend Erick Davalos Von Borstel, Calderón responded by forming her own splinter group with her new partner Hector Pedro Camarena Gomez, alias "El Chino." Together, they established the Cartel California Sur and waged a brutal internal war against their former associates, fueling a wave of violence throughout the region, particularly in La Paz, Baja California Sur. Authorities allege that "La China" and her group were responsible for numerous murders and orchestrated attacks as part of ongoing cartel rivalries. On September 20, 2015, Calderón was arrested at the Cabo San Lucas International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Culiacán. As of the latest information, she remains incarcerated at Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1. The true extent of her involvement in cartel murders remains unverified, with some claims of responsibility for over 150 deaths, but these numbers have not been confirmed in court records or public legal proceedings.