Mexican Casino and Miss Universe Boss Accused of Working With Cartels

Raúl Rocha Cantú, a Mexican business magnate involved in land-based casinos, online gambling, and as a co-owner of the Miss Universe pageant, is sought in his home country for allegedly participating in a trafficking network dealing in fuel, weapons, and drugs, with connections to cartel organizations.

Mexican Authorities Are Looking for Rocha

According to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), which is Mexico’s federal public prosecutor’s office, Rocha is considered a “leader” of a network that smuggled fuel, weapons, and drugs across the Guatemala-Mexico border. He is accused of channeling the illicit profits from these operations into his legitimate businesses. Reports from El País indicate that some of these funds were also used to pay a source who provided him with information on the investigation targeting him.

Prosecutors allege that the case against Rocha is supported by wiretapped phone calls and financial records linking him to the criminal enterprise, which reportedly involves the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Mexico City-based street gang La Unión Tepito.

In January 2024, Rocha acquired a 50% stake in the Miss Universe pageant, and his most recent public appearance was at this year’s event in Nonthaburi, Thailand, just before the charges against him were made public. Interestingly, that event has also been recently targeted by Thai authorities over its links to gambling, as the country is reaffirming its anti-casino stance in recent months.

How Is Rocha Related to the 2011 Casino Royale Attack?

Raúl Rocha Cantú was also the former owner of Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico, which in 2011 was the site of a violent cartel attack that left 52 people dead. Authorities do not believe that this incident is connected to last week’s formal charges against Rocha for trafficking and participation in a criminal organization.

On August 25, 2011, armed assailants connected to the Los Zetas cartel stormed Casino Royale, pouring gasoline throughout the building, blocking the exits, and setting it on fire. In the months leading up to the attack, the casino had received extortion demands for protection money, which Rocha had refused to pay. Afterward, local authorities sought to question Rocha about the incident, but he had already fled to the United States, citing fears for his safety.

Earlier this year, the Second Federal Criminal Court in Matamoros convicted the mastermind of the attack to 135 years in prison, along with handing out various sentences to others connected to the massacre.Since the Casino Royale attack, Rocha has been residing in the US and Guatemala, where he held the title of “honorary consul.” However, last Thursday, the Guatemalan government revoked the status. His current whereabouts remain unknown.