Miss Universe owners in Mexico and Thailand hit with fraud and trafficking claims
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Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil (right) and president of the pageant Raul Rocha Cantu at the competition.
PHOTO: AFP
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MEXICO CITY – The Miss Universe beauty pageant was hit by fresh scandal days after it ended, with the Mexican co-owner of the contest accused of trafficking drugs and arms and his Thai counterpart accused of fraud.
Miss Universe’s 2025 contest concluded last week in Thailand with a win for Miss Mexico
A Thai court official told AFP on Nov 26 that an arrest warrant had been issued the day before for the media mogul co-owner of the contest, Ms Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, for alleged fraud worth US$930,000 (S$1.2 million).
A plastic surgeon accused Ms Jakapong of fraud and concealing information when persuading him to invest in her JKN Global Group, which co-owns the contest.
Later on Nov 26, the federal prosecutor’s office in Mexico said the other co-owner of the pageant, Mexican businessman Raul Rocha Cantu, was under investigation for arms, drug and fuel trafficking.
“Key information is being obtained that will allow the federal public prosecutor’s office to continue and delve deeper into this investigation,” the agency said in a statement. It added that arrest warrants had been issued for 13 defendants, but did not identify them.
Mexican media reported that Mr Rocha was among those sought by the police.
Local media have also accused him of alleged business dealings with the father of the newly crowned Miss Universe, Ms Fatima Bosch.
Ms Bosch’s father, Mr Bernando Bosch, a senior executive at state-owned oil company Pemex, denied any connection to Mr Rocha.
Ms Bosch won widespread acclaim after leading a dramatic walkout from a meeting between the contestants and the pageant’s Thai director Nawat Itsaragrisil.
Mr Nawat was filmed singling her out over her apparent failure to post promotional content
Ms Bosch won praise for standing up to Mr Nawat, including from her country’s first female president, Ms Claudia Sheinbaum.
On Nov 25, the 25-year-old beauty queen said she had received “insults, attacks, and even death threats” over the allegations of her father’s links to the contest.
The Miss Universe contest was formerly owned by US President Donald Trump. Ms Jakapong’s JKN Global Group bought it for US$20 million in 2022, but later sold half its stake to Mr Rocha’s Legacy Holding Group USA for US$16 million. AFP
