A Mexican beauty queen, Laura Mojica Romero is currently being held in Huatusco, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz after she was arrested on accusation of being part of a kidnapping gang, Daily Mail reported.
New photos of the university graduate, who first made a name for herself as Miss Earth Oaxaca 2018, are now circulating again, but this time, for the wrong reason.
Romero, 25, faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the charges against her.
Romero, who won the Miss Oaxaca 2018 regional beauty contest and contested for Miss Mexico in 2019, is one of three women and five men arrested by authorities. She was identified only by her first name in a statement released by investigators in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz.
She was described as one of ‘eight alleged members of a criminal organization specializing in kidnap’ in the statement. Prosecutors said an elite anti-kidnap unit had acted to ensure there was ‘no truce for people who cause serious harm to Veracruz.’
They added: ‘The capture of Luis Antonio ‘N’; Raúl ‘N’; María del Rosario ‘N’; Ana Martha ‘N’; Laura ‘N’; César Enrique ‘N’; Diego ‘N’ and Jossiel ‘N’ took place in Veracruz when personnel specialized in tackling kidnapping carried out an operation to capture those now linked to this judicial investigation.
‘The eight alleged kidnappers have been remanded in custody for two months while the investigation continues.’
Romero, the English-speaking model who comes from the city of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec in Oaxaca, represented her country at the 2020 International Queen of Coffee beauty pageant in Colombia.
She described herself as ‘more than just a pretty face’ during an interview in January 2019 after her Miss Oaxaca triumph.
The business studies graduate said her priorities included tackling the problem of violence against woman, saying: ‘We can’t stand idly by, we have to eradicate violence against women, through campaigns and educational talks that make men aware of this issue.’
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