The new legal proceedings targeting Raúl Rocha Cantú This brings to light a contract signed in 2023 between Pemex and a consortium that includes one of its companies. The president and co-owner of Miss Universe is now the subject of an arrest warrant for possible transactions involving illicit funds, the equivalent of money laundering under Mexican law.
Among the financial transactions examined by the authorities is Soluciones Gasíferas del Sur, a company controlled by Raúl Rocha Cantú. This company, along with a partner, had secured a 745,6 million peso contract from Pemex. At the time the contract was awarded, the father of Fátima Bosch, the future Miss Universe 2025, held a high-ranking position within the Mexican state-owned oil company.
A contract worth 745,6 million pesos signed in 2023
The document bears the number 640853806. It was signed on February 7, 2023 between Pemex and a consortium composed of Servicios PJP4 de México, presented as the lead company, and Soluciones Gasíferas del Sur, a company of which Raúl Rocha Cantú held 800 of the 1,000 shares.
The maximum amount announced was precisely 745,645,019.93 Mexican pesos, excluding taxes. The contract concerned the construction of onshore pipelines for the collection and transport of hydrocarbons at Pemex Exploration and Production facilities located in southern Mexico. It also included corrosion protection equipment, monitoring systems, platforms, access roads, and various technical infrastructure.
The procedure took the form of an international electronic tender. The contract was to be executed over 328 days, between February and December 2023.
Fátima Bosch's father held a high-ranking position at Pemex.
Bernardo Bosch Hernández, father of Fátima Bosch, had worked for Pemex for nearly three decades. In 2023, he was an advisor to the general management of Pemex Exploration and Production.
In October 2025, a few weeks before his daughter won Miss Universe, Bernardo Bosch was appointed Deputy Director in charge of Safety, Health, Environmental Management, Energy and Reliability at Pemex. His appointment appears in a decision by the company's board of directors.
His career had already sparked controversy in 2019. He was dismissed and barred from holding public office for ten years following questions about several million pesos in his assets. This sanction was later overturned by the administrative courts, allowing his return to Pemex.
The contract is now cited in a money laundering investigation
The complaint filed by the Mexican Financial Intelligence Unit in December 2025 describes an alleged money laundering scheme involving multiple companies, bank accounts, and individuals.
Investigators identify Raúl Rocha Cantú as the likely beneficial owner and organizer of the financial structure under investigation. Several companies are named, including Soluciones Gasíferas del Sur. The contract signed with Pemex for 745,6 million pesos is also included in the file submitted to the courts.
The investigation raises the hypothesis that this deal could have constituted an advantage granted to Raúl Rocha Cantú, due to the position held at Pemex by Fátima Bosch's father.
Allegations of favoritism after Fátima Bosch's victory
The contract had already sparked a fierce controversy after Fátima Bosch's crowning. Omar Harfouch, who was part of the Miss Universe 2025 jury, resigned and denounced irregularities in the selection of finalists, claiming that the Mexican candidate had benefited from internal support.
The connection between the Pemex contract, Raúl Rocha's company, and Bernardo Bosch's position fueled accusations of a conflict of interest. Two jury members left the competition before the final, while the organization denied any manipulation of the results.
Pemex confirmed the existence of the contract, while reiterating that it was no longer in effect. The state-owned company also asserted that it had no influence over the organization of the competition: "Pemex has no interference with the organizers of the Miss Universe International pageant."
Raúl Rocha Cantú also denied any favoritism. He claimed to have met the Bosch family only in September 2025, nearly two years after the contract had expired. Fátima Bosch refused to relinquish her crown and maintained that no evidence had been presented against her.
Miss Universe 2026, to be held in Puerto Rico, is threatened by legal issues.
The 75th Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to take place in November 2026 in Puerto Rico. The competition continues to prepare for this event despite legal proceedings targeting several figures associated with its governance.
Raúl Rocha Cantú is the subject of several investigations in Mexico, notably for alleged money laundering, hydrocarbon trafficking, arms trafficking, and organized crime. Jakkaphong "Anne" Jakrajutatip, another long-standing shareholder of Miss Universe, was also the subject of an arrest warrant in Thailand in a separate fraud case.
The authorities in Puerto Rico have also sought to renegotiate the agreement surrounding the organization of the event in order to exclude Raúl Rocha from operations directly related to the contest and to protect the public funds involved.
