![[FILE] Miss Thailand Praveenar Singh wears a swimsuit during the 74th Miss Universe 2025 preliminary competition at Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, 19 November 2025. EFE-EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT](/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Miss-Thailand.jpeg "Miss Universe CEO steps down as owners face fraud probes")
Bangkok, Dec 13 (EFE).—
The chief executive officer of the Miss Universe Organization, Mario Búcaro, has quit barely weeks after taking office, as the company’s owners face legal proceedings and allegations ranging from fraud to organized crime.
In a statement, the organization said Búcaro concluded his tenure as CEO, a role he assumed in November.
This marked the close of a period of institutional service during which he carried out operational leadership responsibilities in the production of the 74th Miss Universe competition, held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The organization said the transition process is being carried out “in an orderly and structured manner, in accordance with internal processes.”
“A formal announcement regarding the individual who will assume the position will be made shortly.”
The statement was signed by Rocha, who serves as MUO president and owns 50 percent of the company’s shares.
The organization thanked Búcaro, a former Guatemalan foreign minister, for his work in strengthening international relations and overseeing the 74th edition of the Miss Universe pageant at the executive level.
When Búcaro was appointed on Oct.29, replacing Jakrajutatip, who is subject to an arrest warrant in Thailand, the MUO expressed confidence that he would lead the competition “into a new era of growth and global influence.”
His departure comes a week after Mexico’s Treasury, according to official sources cited by local media, froze Rocha’s bank accounts amid investigations into alleged links to organized crime, including drug trafficking, fuel smuggling and arms trafficking.
Separately, a Thai court issued an arrest warrant in late November for Jakrajutatip, the pageant’s other 50% owner, in connection with an alleged fraud case involving close to one million euros. The warrant was issued after she failed to appear in court, the Bangkok South Kwaeng court told EFE at the time, without providing further details.
Beyond the legal proceedings, the Miss Universe Organization is also facing controversy over alleged irregularities in the selection of Mexico’s representative, Fátima Bosch, as the winner of this year’s national contest.
Those allegations have been led primarily by Franco-Lebanese composer Omar Harfouch, who has threatened legal action against MUO for alleged offenses including fraud, abuse of power, corruption, deceit, breach of contract, conflicts of interest, and moral and reputational damage. EFE
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