Mexican authorities freeze bank accounts of Miss Universe co-owner in organised-crime probe
Financial intelligence unit blocks Raúl Rocha Cantú’s accounts as investigators pursue allegations of trafficking and money laundering
Mexican authorities have frozen the bank accounts of Raúl Rocha Cantú, a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, as part of an expanding investigation into alleged organised-crime activities involving drug, arms and fuel trafficking.
The action was taken under national anti-money-laundering powers after prosecutors advanced a case targeting a suspected smuggling network operating between Guatemala and Mexico.
The investigation, which encompasses at least thirteen individuals, has led a federal judge to authorise arrest warrants for Rocha Cantú and several alleged associates.
Prosecutors contend the network moved narcotics and weapons across borders and trafficked illicit fuel sourced in Guatemala, using maritime and overland routes to distribute it across southern and central Mexico.
Authorities allege the group laundered proceeds through shell companies, prompting scrutiny of Rocha Cantú’s wider commercial footprint.
Rocha Cantú holds fifty percent of the Miss Universe Organization through Legacy Holding Group USA, which acquired its stake in 2023 from the Thai-based JKN Global Group.
The remaining share is still held by JKN, led by Thai entrepreneur Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, who separately faces a fraud-related warrant issued by a Thai court.
Officials in Mexico emphasise that, at present, no evidence suggests illicit funds were used to finance Miss Universe’s operations, stressing that the inquiry concerns Rocha Cantú’s personal business dealings rather than the pageant itself.
The developments come at a sensitive moment for Miss Universe, following the recent conclusion of the 2025 pageant and rising questions about the organisation’s governance and financial stability.
With legal cases unfolding on two fronts — in Mexico against Rocha Cantú and in Thailand involving Jakkaphong — the pageant’s ownership structure and long-term stability face heightened uncertainty as authorities proceed with their investigations.
The action was taken under national anti-money-laundering powers after prosecutors advanced a case targeting a suspected smuggling network operating between Guatemala and Mexico.
The investigation, which encompasses at least thirteen individuals, has led a federal judge to authorise arrest warrants for Rocha Cantú and several alleged associates.
Prosecutors contend the network moved narcotics and weapons across borders and trafficked illicit fuel sourced in Guatemala, using maritime and overland routes to distribute it across southern and central Mexico.
Authorities allege the group laundered proceeds through shell companies, prompting scrutiny of Rocha Cantú’s wider commercial footprint.
Rocha Cantú holds fifty percent of the Miss Universe Organization through Legacy Holding Group USA, which acquired its stake in 2023 from the Thai-based JKN Global Group.
The remaining share is still held by JKN, led by Thai entrepreneur Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, who separately faces a fraud-related warrant issued by a Thai court.
Officials in Mexico emphasise that, at present, no evidence suggests illicit funds were used to finance Miss Universe’s operations, stressing that the inquiry concerns Rocha Cantú’s personal business dealings rather than the pageant itself.
The developments come at a sensitive moment for Miss Universe, following the recent conclusion of the 2025 pageant and rising questions about the organisation’s governance and financial stability.
With legal cases unfolding on two fronts — in Mexico against Rocha Cantú and in Thailand involving Jakkaphong — the pageant’s ownership structure and long-term stability face heightened uncertainty as authorities proceed with their investigations.
