Miss Universe Owners in Mexico and Thailand Face Fraud and Trafficking Allegations Amid 2025 Pageant Fallout
Thai co-owner indicted for alleged bond-sale fraud; Mexican co-owner charged with organised arms and drug trafficking as scandal engulfs the pageant
Days after the conclusion of the 2025 Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Thailand, both co-owners of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) find themselves under serious legal scrutiny — one in Bangkok for fraud, the other in Mexico accused of trafficking drugs, arms and fuel.
In Bangkok, a court issued an arrest warrant on November 26 against Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip (also known as Anne Jakrajutatip) after she failed to appear at a verdict hearing in a 2023 fraud case.
The lawsuit alleges that she and her company, JKN Global Group, misled an investor into buying corporate bonds — resulting in losses of about 30 million baht (approximately US$930,000).
With her bail revoked, authorities have deemed her a flight risk, though she has not been located and her current whereabouts remain unclear.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, authorities have filed charges against Raúl Rocha Cantú, the organisation’s other co-owner, accusing him of leading a criminal network engaged in drug, arms and fuel trafficking.
According to prosecutors, the alleged illicit trade carried supplies across Guatemala into Mexico via the Usumacinta River before moving them by land.
An arrest warrant was reportedly issued earlier this year, identifying Rocha among 13 individuals sought for organised-crime charges.
These developments come in the wake of a turbulent Miss Universe 2025 edition, which saw the crowning of Fátima Bosch of Mexico amid growing controversy: two judges resigned before the final, citing irregularities, and accusations emerged of predetermined results tied to business connections between contest executives and the winner’s family.
The mounting legal storms surrounding both owners cast a long shadow over the pageant’s integrity and future governance.
As investigations advance, the Miss Universe Organization faces mounting pressure to disentangle itself from criminal allegations, restore credibility and address accusations that its leadership has misused the platform’s global reach.
The legal risks for both Jakrajutatip and Rocha strain the pageant’s stability at a critical time for its global brand presence.
In Bangkok, a court issued an arrest warrant on November 26 against Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip (also known as Anne Jakrajutatip) after she failed to appear at a verdict hearing in a 2023 fraud case.
The lawsuit alleges that she and her company, JKN Global Group, misled an investor into buying corporate bonds — resulting in losses of about 30 million baht (approximately US$930,000).
With her bail revoked, authorities have deemed her a flight risk, though she has not been located and her current whereabouts remain unclear.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, authorities have filed charges against Raúl Rocha Cantú, the organisation’s other co-owner, accusing him of leading a criminal network engaged in drug, arms and fuel trafficking.
According to prosecutors, the alleged illicit trade carried supplies across Guatemala into Mexico via the Usumacinta River before moving them by land.
An arrest warrant was reportedly issued earlier this year, identifying Rocha among 13 individuals sought for organised-crime charges.
These developments come in the wake of a turbulent Miss Universe 2025 edition, which saw the crowning of Fátima Bosch of Mexico amid growing controversy: two judges resigned before the final, citing irregularities, and accusations emerged of predetermined results tied to business connections between contest executives and the winner’s family.
The mounting legal storms surrounding both owners cast a long shadow over the pageant’s integrity and future governance.
As investigations advance, the Miss Universe Organization faces mounting pressure to disentangle itself from criminal allegations, restore credibility and address accusations that its leadership has misused the platform’s global reach.
The legal risks for both Jakrajutatip and Rocha strain the pageant’s stability at a critical time for its global brand presence.
