Raúl Rocha is nowhere to be found: several days of searching between Monaco, Antibes and Saint-Tropez, but the head of Miss Universe has disappeared

For Interviews, paparazzi photographer Jordy Martin conducted a multi-day investigation on the French Riviera.

Accustomed to long surveillance and searches of celebrities, he followed the movements of Raúl Rocha Cantú's yacht between Monaco, Antibes, and Saint-Tropez, conducting numerous reconnaissance missions in ports to try and find the Miss Universe co-owner. Jordy Martin photographed and filmed the boat during its various stops. He observed movements around the yacht, monitored its occupants, and checked whether Raúl Rocha was on board or nearby. Despite this manhunt conducted in several ports along the French Riviera, there was no trace of the Mexican businessman. The boat was located, photographed, and filmed in several ports. Its owner, however, was not seen. There was no sign of Raúl Rocha on deck, in any visible areas of the vessel, or around the ports where the yacht docked. Only a couple, whose identities remain unknown, were observed on board. Were they clients, relatives, intermediaries, or simply occupants who had chartered the boat? For the moment, there is no evidence to determine this.

This apparent absence raises questions at a time when Raúl Rocha's legal situation is deteriorating in Mexico. The co-owner of Miss Universe is the subject of investigations in Mexico in which the authorities mention in particular suspicions linked to organized crime, arms trafficking, drug trafficking and fuel smuggling, as well as alleged financial operations intended to conceal the origin of certain funds. A new arrest warrant was also requested against him in a separate money laundering case.

His yacht, however, continues to appear in the most luxurious ports of the Mediterranean. Raúl Rocha, on the other hand, is no longer seen.

Is Raúl Rocha in hiding for fear of being arrested?

The first hypothesis is also the most obvious: Is Raúl Rocha trying to stay away from his yacht to avoid being spotted, located or arrested?

Mexican justice suspects Raúl Rocha for having played a role in an organization allegedly involved in fuel, arms, and drug trafficking. In the new financial case opened against him, investigators present him as one of the alleged beneficiaries and operators of a system relying on companies, bank accounts, and intermediaries tasked with circulating suspicious funds. According to the information released as part of this investigation, Nearly 500 bank accounts have reportedly been frozen or placed under surveillance. Transactions representing tens, or even hundreds, of millions of pesos are now being examined. The Mexican federal prosecutor's office has also requested a new arrest warrant. targeting Raúl Rocha and 2 other businessmen.

The agreements that allowed Raúl Rocha to cooperate with investigators have also reportedly been revoked. After failing to appear at several summonses, his current residence has not been disclosed, and Mexican authorities have given no public information about his whereabouts. His absence from Monaco has therefore fueled speculation. While his yacht has been sailing between several European ports, its owner was not seen on board during the days of surveillance. Is Raúl Rocha afraid that a new Mexican court decision will lead to an international arrest warrant? Is he worried about proceedings targeting his yacht or other assets held abroad?

At this stage, there is no public evidence to suggest that his absence is directly related to the legal proceedings or to fear of arrest. This hypothesis stems solely from the coincidence between his current discretion and the worsening of his legal situation. However, the American pressure against Mexican criminal networks makes this absence all the more troubling. The Trump administration has intensified its offensive against the cartels and their financial and political backers. In April 2026, American justice has indicted Rubén Rocha Moya, governor of the state of Sinaloa, as well as several local officials, accusing them of collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel in exchange for bribes and political support.

Links between Rubén Rocha Moya and Raúl Rocha Cantú have already been mentioned.The procedures concerning them remain separate. However, the case against the governor of Sinaloa shows that Washington no longer wants to target only traffickers. The United States is also targeting political figures, businesses, and financial networks suspected of protecting or funding the cartels.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is now under direct pressure. She has rejected American accusations alluding to links between his government and the cartels, while the prosecution of several Mexican officials fuels tensions between Mexico City and Washington.

In this atmosphere, Raúl Rocha has good reason to carefully consider each of his movements. The co-owner of Miss Universe, accustomed to public appearances, beauty pageants, and lavish parties, has become an invisible man whose yacht sails without him.

Is Raúl Rocha renting out his yacht because his assets are frozen?

The second hypothesis directly concerns his money. Could the yacht be offered for charter to generate cash while Accounts linked to Raúl Rocha have been frozen by Mexican authorities. and that its financial operations have been thoroughly scrutinized?

The presence of a couple on board could be considered a private rental. But this raises another question: who receives the money paid by the clients? According to information released by Mexican authorities, Accounts linked to Raúl Rocha have been frozen as part of the organized crime investigation. The new procedure dedicated to money laundering would also examine hundreds of accounts, real estate purchases, transfers between companies and transactions carried out by individuals suspected of having acted as intermediaries.

At the same time, Miss Universe is experiencing a particularly opaque financial and organizational crisis. Several international licensees have reportedly received instructions to send money to different bank accounts. These changes have caused significant concern within the brand's global network.

Nawat Itsaragrisil, now CEO of Miss Universe Eastern and head of an area covering 95 countries, issued a warning to licensees. The Thai executive requested that no payments be sent to accounts that are not officially authorized. He also mentioned a certain Olivia, by asking partners never to transfer money directly to her. This Olivia is known in the Miss Universe professional circles and has been associated with Raúl Rocha's entourage. Nawat Itsaragrisil's warning, therefore, doesn't seem like a mere administrative formality. At the very least, it reveals significant confusion surrounding the control of payments and money disbursed by international franchises.

Miss Universe then released an official statement stating that only one bank account was authorized for global transactions: a Chase Bank account held by JKN Universe LLC. The organization asked all its partners to ignore instructions directing money to any other account and warned that it would not cover any losses related to unauthorized payments.

A well-established organization doesn't publicly remind its licensees not to send their money just anywhere without reason. This alert confirms the existence of tensions or malfunctions within the Miss Universe financial system. However, it doesn't, on its own, allow us to attribute an attempted embezzlement to Raúl Rocha or someone in his entourage.

Did Raúl Rocha attempt to obtain payments into accounts he directly or indirectly controls? Did his associates send conflicting instructions to the dismissed employees? Is he now seeking other sources of income through the chartering of his yacht? These questions remain unanswered. No transparent answers have been provided, but there is also no publicly available evidence to suggest that Raúl Rocha is currently using his yacht to circumvent the alleged freezing of certain accounts or to recover cash.

The co-owner of Miss Universe remains absent. Accounts linked to his activities were reportedly placed under surveillance. And his boat appears to continue to accommodate occupants on the French Riviera. The identity of the beneficiary of any rental income remains unknown.

Who are the actual occupants of Raúl Rocha's yacht?

The third hypothesis concerns the couple seen on the boat. Who are these people and why are they using Raúl Rocha's yacht when he remains missing?

Their faces must be masked until their identities are confirmed. Their presence, however, warrants further investigation. Are they simply tourists who chartered a luxury yacht unaware of its owner's legal troubles? Business partners? Relatives tasked with monitoring or operating the vessel? Or individuals simply wishing to remain out of the public eye? At this stage, there is no evidence to support one hypothesis over another.

Raúl Rocha is targeted In a case where Mexican authorities are raising suspicions of fuel smuggling, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, the use of shell companies, and suspicious financial transactions, the identity of those to whom he may lend or rent his boat deserves clarification. Is the yacht used solely for tourist trips? Could it accommodate business partners or financial intermediaries? These questions warrant further investigation. While nothing currently allows for the identification of the couple seen on board, the lack of public information regarding the occupants, the yacht's manager, and any potential income generated contributes to the opacity surrounding the vessel.

Potential clients also need to know to whom they are paying their money. Is the yacht being chartered by an independent company? By an entity linked to Raúl Rocha? By an intermediary based in another jurisdiction? Who appears on the contracts and invoices? If the revenue were paid to a company controlled by Raúl Rocha, clients could indirectly contribute to financing his assets. At this stage, however, there is no publicly available information to establish the identity of the beneficial owner of any potential charter income. Raúl Rocha also remains targeted by Mexican investigations related to organized crime and money launderingTherefore, those who rent the boat can legitimately ask who owns the yacht, which company operates it, and where the sums paid are deposited.

After several days of surveillance between Monaco, Antibes, and Saint-Tropez, Raúl Rocha remains out of sight. His yacht, however, continues to sail, welcoming passengers and perhaps generating revenue. The boat is there. The passengers are there. But the owner is nowhere to be seen. Is Raúl Rocha keeping his distance to avoid arrest? Is he using his yacht to access cash while some of his assets are frozen? And who is actually benefiting from the money paid to board?

As long as Raúl Rocha refuses to answer, these three questions will continue to haunt him from port to port…