Miss Universe Pageant Plunged Into Crisis: Thai Co-Owner Faces $930,000 Fraud Charge as Mexican Partner Is Probed for Drug and Arms Trafficking

The Miss Universe Organization is once again facing a major scandal—this time involving both of its top-level co-owners—barely days after the 2025 pageant wrapped up in Thailand.

A Thai court has issued an arrest warrant for media magnate Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, while in Mexico, authorities have launched an explosive investigation into businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and illicit fuel operations.

The back-to-back legal crises have plunged the century-old beauty pageant into one of the most turbulent moments in its history.

Arrest Warrant Issued for Thai Owner Over Alleged $930,000 Fraud

A senior Thai court official confirmed on Wednesday that a warrant was issued a day earlier for Anne Jakapong, the CEO of JKN Global Group and co-owner of Miss Universe.

The charge stems from a complaint filed by a plastic surgeon, who accused Jakapong of fraud and withholding critical financial information while soliciting nearly $930,000 in investments for her publicly listed company JKN Global Group.

JKN, which purchased Miss Universe for $20 million in 2022, has faced financial turbulence in recent years, fueling deeper concerns about the organization’s leadership and transparency.

Mexican Co-Owner Under Federal Investigation for Arms and Drug Trafficking

While Jakapong faces legal pressure in Thailand, her business counterpart—and 50% co-owner of the Miss Universe franchise—Raúl Rocha Cantú is now at the center of a severe criminal investigation in Mexico.

The Mexican Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Rocha is being probed for alleged links to:

• Illegal arms trafficking

• Drug trafficking operations

• Fuel theft and illicit fuel distribution networks

Authorities noted that 13 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the case, though they did not publicly disclose the names of the suspects. Mexican news outlets, however, widely report that Rocha is among those being sought.

Miss Universe Pageant Plunged Into Crisis”

Newly Crowned Miss Universe Dragged Into Controversy

The scandal adds a dramatic twist to a pageant already marked by turmoil.
This year’s winner, Miss Mexico 2025, Fátima Bosch, was caught in a viral dispute with Thai pageant director Nawat Itsaragrisil, who publicly insulted her during a contestant meeting—calling her a “dumbhead” for allegedly failing to post promotional content online.

Bosch’s dignified walkout drew praise internationally, including commendation from Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

But the celebrations were short-lived.

In the wake of the Rocha investigation, Bosch has become an unintended target. Social media users circulated unverified claims linking her family to the accused Mexican businessman.

Her father, Bernando Bosch, a senior executive at Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil giant, publicly denied any connection to Rocha. Despite this, the 25-year-old titleholder revealed she has received insults, harassment, and even death threats online.

Legacy of Ownership Under Scrutiny

Miss Universe has changed hands multiple times over the decades—once owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump before being sold to talent agency WME/IMG in 2015.

In 2022, JKN Global Group acquired the franchise, promoting the pageant as a platform for global empowerment and diversity. The company then sold half of its stake to Legacy Holding Group USA, owned by Rocha Cantú, for $16 million.

With both co-owners now facing serious legal challenges on opposite sides of the world, analysts warn that the Miss Universe Organization could be headed for severe reputational damage, stakeholder uncertainty, and a possible restructuring of its ownership model.

For a global brand long associated with glamour, charity, and cultural representation, these allegations mark one of the most consequential crises in its modern history.

Written by Boom RadioNG