Nawat Itsaragrisil's latest revelation strikes at the heart of Miss Universe 2026: the public funds committed by Puerto Rico to host the competition . The Thai leader reveals several transfers that he attributes directly to Raúl Rocha Cantú , either to his personal account or for his own expenses. He provides specific dates and amounts and asserts that the transactions have been reviewed by his legal team and professionals in the United States.
In response to these revelations, the Rocha family released a two-page statement attacking Nawat and challenging his authority. However, it failed to address any of the detailed transfers. Furthermore, the statement contained a particularly audacious attack: Miss Universe referred to Anne Jakrajutatip as a "fugitive ," even though Raúl Rocha himself is a fugitive wanted by Mexican authorities and has left the country.
Miss Universe calls Anne a "fugitive"... while Rocha himself is one.
In an attempt to cut Nawat off from Anne Jakrajutatip, Miss Universe claims that the former leader no longer exercises any operational authority and writes that she was "convicted of fraud in Thailand " and remains "currently a fugitive".
But the same argument immediately backfires on Rocha's camp. Raúl Rocha himself is the subject of arrest warrants and serious legal proceedings in Mexico . A new money laundering investigation has further complicated his case. This summer, Raúl Rocha was once again nowhere to be found after several days of searching between Monaco , Antibes, and Saint- Tropez.
The camp of a man who is himself a fugitive is therefore now using Anne's escape to try to discredit Nawat.
Anne is said to have found refuge in Mexico among Rocha's circle.
The situation is all the more surprising given that Anne Jakrajutatip reportedly found refuge in Mexico with Raúl Rocha after leaving Thailand. She had disappeared from the public eye even before Miss Universe 2025, held in Bangkok , as her legal troubles mounted.
Reports circulated that she left Thailand aboard a jet linked to Raúl Rocha. Anne reportedly then lived for several months in Mexico, particularly in Mexico City , where she was allegedly protected and sheltered within the Mexican businessman's circle. She is said to have remained there until Raúl Rocha himself left Mexico after the Bangkok competition.
The situation is absurd to say the least: the Rocha clan is now using Anne's escape against Nawat, while Rocha himself allegedly helped to shelter her in Mexico before becoming a fugitive himself.
"The money has disappeared": Nawat gives the amounts and dates
But the heart of Nawat's revelations remains financial. According to him, some of the money paid for the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico was diverted for the personal benefit of Raúl Rocha. His conclusion is unequivocal: "The money has disappeared."
Nawat first revealed a transfer of $300,000 on October 7th to what he presented as Raúl Rocha's personal bank account. He then mentioned a transfer of $295,236.07 on November 7th , a sum allegedly used to finance a house in Florida . Finally, he detailed three other transactions made between November 24th and 26th: $279,612.28, $200,000, and $350,000.
Nawat is no longer just talking about the general management of Miss Universe. He's putting forward specific financial transactions, with dates and amounts, and asking Puerto Rico to verify where the money went. He had even warned a few weeks earlier: "If I speak, Puerto Rico will tremble. I still have a lot to say."
Miss Universe responds… without denying the transfers
This is the most embarrassing aspect of Miss Universe's response. Faced with Nawat's revelations, Miss Universe could have addressed each transaction individually: explaining the $300,000, disputing the $295,236.07, specifying the destination of the other funds, or clearly stating that they never personally benefited Raúl Rocha. The press release fails to do so.
The amounts are not refuted one by one. Instead, Miss Universe attacks Nawat, challenges his access to internal information, and asserts that he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the organization. The debate thus shifts from the destination of the money to the authority of the person revealing the transactions.
Miss Universe is mainly asking him to prove that he had the right to speak
The section titled "Public Challenge to Substantiate His Claims ," presented as a "public challenge" to Nawat, is particularly revealing. One might expect Miss Universe to ask him to produce the bank documents corresponding to the transfers he has just disclosed. That is not the request made.
The organization is demanding "legitimate legal documentation" establishing his authority within Miss Universe or the mandate allowing him to make statements regarding his financial affairs. In other words, Miss Universe is asking him to demonstrate that he had the right to disclose this information rather than to prove that the transfers were fraudulent. The difference is enormous.
The governor of Puerto Rico also wants to see "one of their own" win
Another now very embarrassing statement in this affair: Jennifer González-Colón, the governor of Puerto Rico, publicly acknowledged that she wanted to see a Puerto Rican woman win Miss Universe. After defending the investment made to host the competition and the expected benefits for the island, she stated: "Obviously, we also want one of our own to win the crown."
The statement comes at the worst possible time. Puerto Rico is spending millions of dollars to host Miss Universe, and while Nawat is demanding explanations about where that money is going, the governor openly admits she wants Miss Universe Puerto Rico to win.
This statement takes on a particular dimension as Nawat specifically denounces the financial and political links surrounding the 2026 edition.
The very cumbersome Guatemalan component
Also appearing alongside Raúl Rocha and Miss Universe is Mario Búcaro, former Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs who later became head of the organization. Raúl Rocha had held the status of honorary consul of Guatemala in Mexico before this position was revoked following the outbreak of his legal troubles.
Information has also circulated about diplomatic passports in Miss Universe's entourage and about links established with Guatemala at the time when Mario Búcaro still held government positions.
This aspect adds further to the particularly troubled relationships between several former or current leaders of Miss Universe and the political or diplomatic networks they have frequented.
The Rocha clan is also trying to erase Nawat's status
The other major battle concerns Nawat's authority. The Rocha clan is now trying to portray him as a mere franchise holder with no real power over the international organization. Yet, Nawat was officially presented as CEO of Miss Universe Eastern, with 95 countries under his responsibility.
The internal conflict then erupted when Raúl Rocha and his team lost control of the historic Miss Universe website and hastily launched a new one. Since then, the Rocha camp has sought to downplay Nawat's role. But this institutional battle still fails to address the information he reveals about the financial flows.
Nawat forced the Rocha clan to respond… but still not about the money.
Nawat had promised that Puerto Rico would "tremble ." His revelations now touch on the most sensitive issue: the money involved in Miss Universe 2026. He provides dates, amounts, and the destinations he attributes to several transfers. Meanwhile, the Rocha camp publishes two pages challenging his authority, attacking Anne Jakrajutatip, and calling her a "fugitive," while Rocha himself is a fugitive. And the governor of Puerto Rico now adds this damning statement: "Obviously, we also want one of our own to win the crown."
Despite all the counterattacks against Nawat, the question remains: where did the money go and what exactly do the transfers to Raúl Rocha that he has just revealed correspond to?
