Mexico beauty queen among those arrested in kidnap gang

Former ‘Miss Oaxaca’ and contender for the ‘International Queen of Coffee’ could face 50 years in jail on charges

Pictures of eight people arrested in Veracruz on kidnapping charges (State Attorney for Veracruz)

A Mexican beauty queen has been arrested as part of a police crack down on an alleged kidnapping gang.

25-year-old Laura Mojica Romero was arrested on Thursday in the Mexican city of Veracruz and awaits trial, authorities have said.

According to El Pais, the state of Veracruz has the second highest rate of kidnappings in Mexico, with around 15 to 20 cases per month.

Only the State of Mexico, the densely populated region around Mexico City, the country’s capital, has a higher rate of kidnappings.

Ms Mojica Romero, who was crowned Miss Oaxaca in 2018, was arrested along with seven other people who have been accused of taking part in a kidnapping operation.

“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 specialised in tackling kidnapping carried out an operation to capture those now linked to this judicial investigation,” a statement released by the state attorney on Saturday said.

Ms Mojica Romero was only named by her first name, and was described as being one of “eight alleged members of a criminal organisation specialising in kidnap”.

The Veracruz state attorney added that there would be “no truce for people who cause serious harm to Veracruz.”

All eight alleged kidnappers were ordered to be detained while awaiting trial, as prosecutors consider charges and the evidence against Ms Mojica Romero and others.

"With these actions, the Attorney General of the State endorses its unrestricted commitment to fight head-on this type of criminal conduct that seriously injures the freedom of Veracruz," the state attorney added.

Ms Mojica Romero could face up to 50 years in prison if found guilty of kidnapping.

She was previously crowned Miss Earth Oaxaca in 2015, and completed in a number of other beauty pageant competitions, including the 2020 International Queen of Coffee pageant in Columbia, El Pais reported.