Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar Garcia Harfuch, assured on Sunday, November 30, that there is no evidence linking the Miss Universe pageant to money from organized crime. The clarification came at a press conference in Mexico City, after allegations emerged linking one of the brand’s owners to alleged illicit activities.
Omar Garcia Harfuch was categorical: “We have no indication that there is any money from organized crime in the Miss Universe pageant. We do not have it, nor do we have anything related to the contest as such in the corresponding investigations”. His statements seek to stem the tide of speculation that intensified last week after an alleged criminal network linked to Mexican businessman Raul Rocha Cantu, co-owner of part of the organization, became public.
Miss Universe and organized crime links ruled out
🔴”We have no indication that there is organized crime money in Miss Universe”: the head of the @SSPCMexico, Omar García Harfuch(@OHarfuch), responds that there is no relationship between the contest and the investigations into Raúl Rocha.
– Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) November 30, 2025
Buzzy explained that the investigation involving Rocha Cantú is not related to the operations of the beauty pageant, but to a broader investigation that resulted in 13 arrest warrants.
Among those named is the businessman himself, who is under investigation for possible links to criminal activities such as drug trafficking, fuel smuggling (huachicol) and arms trafficking.
Omar García Harfuch emphasized that the investigation was carried out in “full coordination” with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), and that federal security cabinet institutions participated.
The case took a relevant turn when, one day before the resignation of then Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, the FGR publicly confirmed that Rocha Cantú is part of an open investigation.
However, the prosecution has not indicated that the alleged criminal scheme has any connection to Miss Universe, nor that the defendant’s business activities have tainted the operation of the pageant.
Who is the owner of Miss Universe?
It is important to note that, as of 2024, the Miss Universe Organization is jointly owned -in equal parts- by the Thai company JKN and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc. a U.S. division linked to a Mexican company owned by Rocha Cantú.
This business structure has attracted attention due to the complexity of its corporate control, especially after JKN faced financial problems and entered into legal proceedings in Thailand to restructure debt.
Despite this context, Mexican authorities insist that there is no evidence to suggest that the contest operations are being financed by illicit activities.
The investigation against Rocha Cantú, they said, focuses on her personal and business activities outside the Miss Universe sphere.
In the meantime, the FGR continues with the investigations and it is expected that the next legal steps will be defined in the coming weeks.
So far, there have been no reports of arrests directly related to the event, nor of any impact on the international operation of the event.
We have no indication that there is organized crime money involved in the Miss Universe pageant
Omar García Harfuch, secretario de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana
