A Mexican beauty queen was arrested and warned that she could face years behind the bars for allegedly being part of a major kidnapping gang. Laura Mojica Romero, 25, faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted of the charges against her.
Romero was arrested along with a few other men by Mexican police recently for running a kidnapping gang involved in high-profile extortion and across the country. Romero is reportedly being held in Huatusco, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz. A judge has given the authorities two months to investigate the charges, with all the suspects remanded in custody until it has been concluded.
Secret Profession
Romero was arrested along with three other women and five men from the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz last Thursday. According to a statement released by the police, Romero was described as one of "eight alleged members of a criminal organization specializing in kidnapping". Prosecutors said an elite anti-kidnap unit had acted to ensure there was "no truce for people who cause serious harm to Veracruz."
All the eight members have been remanded in custody for two months, while prosecutors continue their investigations. Romero's links with the kidnapping gang comes as a big shock to several of her fans given her public profile. It's still unclear how she got linked to the gang that is involved in high-profile kidnappings in Veracruz.
Of the many prestigious beauty pageant wins, Romero went on to win the 2020 International Queen of Coffee beauty pageant in Colombia in recent times.
Quite a Popular Model
Romero is one of the most prominent models to have come up from Mexico in recent times. She is also known to speak English fluently. According to reports, Romero also won Miss Earth Oaxaca in 2015 and was the third runner-up at Miss Mexico 2019.
Speaking back in January 2019 after her Miss Oaxaca triumph, Mojica Romero said it was time to end violence against women. A business studies graduate, she at that time had said: "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."
She was also a speaker and a spokeswoman in the fight against breast cancer and leukemia. Naturally, her links with the kidnapping gang is completely opposite to her public profile. If convicted, Romero could end up serving 50 years in jail.
