Mexican beauty queen dethroned after drug arrest

[dice]

LA PAZ (Reuters) - A Mexican beauty queen arrested in the company of heavily armed, suspected drug traffickers has been stripped of her Hispanic American beauty title, pageant organizers in Bolivia told local media on Saturday.

Laura Zuniga, 23, and seven men were detained at a military checkpoint in central Mexico on Monday. Police found assault rifles and $55,000 in cash in the luxury vehicles they had been driving.

Zuniga was ordered jailed on Friday for a further 40 days while investigators probe possible ties to violent smuggling gangs.


Police say they suspect the dark-haired model, who won the Miss Sinaloa and Queen of Hispanic America pageants earlier this year, was the girlfriend of one of the men arrested. Investigators say he is linked to the Juarez cartel, which operates lucrative smuggling routes into the United States.

"Promociones Gloria, the company that created and is responsible for (the pageant) has dismissed Laura Zuniga as the official Hispanic America Queen 2008," the organisation said in a statement, according to La Paz daily La Razon.

She was to compete in the Miss International pageant next year.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon is battling powerful cartels in his country with soldiers and federal police.

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Source: africa.reuters.com (and Narin)

 

[Raven Darkheart]

saw this 2 days ago. sad really cause shes a looker

 

[Lelouch]

anyone else think she looks scary in her mug shot?

 

[Law]

When I first saw this from the recent posts box I thought it said "Mexican beauty queen deepthro...."

 

[FAST6191]

It had better been because of some decent synthetics that she got taken down. This being said the term "bolivian marching powder" does exist for a reason I guess.

Also for that kind of haul ($55K* and assault rifles**) me or my people would likely have "resisted arrest" (whilst in full restraints) warranting the use of lethal force, I am almost disappointed. On the other hand I would be disappointed if that number of people (especially now they have been made out to be master crims) only went to a $55K drug buy, numbers plucked out of my ass say that would barely be a suitcase full.

*Any such arrest would be purely for the weapons mind you; money? what money?

**I am not sure of the definition of assault rifle these days (I am sticking with full auto, full length barrel although I will be amenable to differences definitions of magazine size required) especially in Mexico/Bolivia and with the story apparently written up by who knows. Models not being said suggests to me just a basic AK/AKm which somewhat ironically would almost be non-news, no numbers also suggests to me they were not armed to the teeth but maybe just two (plural=more than one) or three.

 

[Mangofett]

**I am not sure of the definition of assault rifle these days (I am sticking with full auto, full length barrel although I will be amenable to differences definitions of magazine size required) especially in Mexico/Bolivia and with the story apparently written up by who knows. Models not being said suggests to me just a basic AK/AKm which somewhat ironically would almost be non-news, no numbers also suggests to me they were not armed to the teeth but maybe just two (plural=more than one) or three.

In the US it's any gun that was originally designed for assault (like AK47) even if it was made semi-auto or adjusted for legal reasons to sell to the public.

Mentioning this since Mexico is close to the US, so laws might be influenced.

 

[ryukyus]

Dang those boobs are fake, is that her in the mug shot, looks like a different person, if so make up can do wonders

 

[Anakir]

Makeup really can change a person. Photographs depend on lighting, angle and composition as well to make a person look good. I've seen many before and after (with makeup) pictures of celebrities.. you'd think those celebrities look like average people on the streets.

 

[Extreme Coder]

When I first saw this from the recent posts box I thought it said "Mexican beauty queen deepthro...."

Very dirty-minded

 

[fateastray]

anyone else think she looks scary in her mug shot?

the girl in the left picture is way hotter!!!