Miss Gangster

A reigning Mexican beauty queen from the drug-plagued state of Sinaloa was arrested with suspected gang members in a truck filled guns and ammunition. Second prize was a pair of steak knives.

Miss Sinaloa 2008 Laura Zuniga was arrested shortly before midnight at a military checkpoint in Zapopan, just outside Guadalajara. Zuniga was riding in one of two trucks, where soldiers found a large stash of weapons, including two AR-15 assault rifles, .38 specials, 9mm handguns, nine magazines, 633 cartridges and $53,300 in U.S. currency. She told police that she was planning on traveling to Bolivia and Colombia with the men to go shopping. Ladies and gentlemen, the talent competition!

When the former preschool teacher won Miss Sinaloa in July she gave an impassioned speech about how society should value women more, especially mothers. In October, she won the Hispanoamerican Queen beauty contest in October against competitors from across Latin America. She placed third in the Nuestra Belleza Mexico pageant in Monterrey in September. That pageant sends its winner to the Miss Universe contest. For placing third, she was expected to represent Mexico in the 2009 Miss International contest.