The bank accounts of Raúl Rocha Cantú, the Mexican businessman who owns 50 percent of the Miss Universe Organization, have been frozen by the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), marking a major escalation in an ongoing criminal investigation.
The probe, which was opened in late 2024 by Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), centers on alleged links between Rocha Cantú and a criminal network accused of drug trafficking, arms smuggling, fuel theft known locally as “huachicol,” and large-scale money laundering.
Prosecutors claim the network used a web of legitimate businesses—including security firms, storage facilities, and gas stations—as fronts to funnel illicit funds into legal operations. Authorities say this structure allowed criminal proceeds to be concealed within otherwise lawful commercial activities.
Among those arrested in connection with the case was a federal prosecutor who allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for leaking confidential information about the investigation, according to officials.
This is not the first time Rocha Cantú’s business dealings have come under scrutiny. He was previously a part-owner of a casino in Monterrey that became the site of a deadly arson attack in 2011, an incident that killed 52 people and remains one of Mexico’s deadliest attacks on a civilian establishment.
At the same time, Miss Universe’s other co-owner, Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip, is facing legal troubles of her own. A Thai court recently issued an arrest warrant for Jakrajutatip in connection with an alleged fraud case involving her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd.
Taken together, the developments have cast a shadow over the Miss Universe Organization, which only weeks ago crowned Mexico’s Fátima Bosch as its new titleholder. The latest controversies add to mounting criticisms surrounding the pageant, which has already been hounded by accusations of rigging and favoritism.