Thai Authorities Reportedly Detain Mexicans in "ICE-Like" Raid After Miss Universe Exec Fired for Confrontation with Miss Mexico

After a controversial altercation between a Miss Universe executive and Miss Mexico, several Mexican nationals have been detained in Bangkok, Thailand. Journalist Miguel Masjuán described it as "like an ICE raid in California, they took all the Mexicans."

On the online show '¡Tal Cual! Sin Filtro,' Masjuán alleged that the Thai Miss Universe executive, Nawat Itsaragrisil, discovered that one of the pageant's sponsors was a Filipino online gambling business, which is illegal in Thailand. He then reported the organization to the police, and several Mexican workers were detained.

"They tell me they were having breakfast when the police showed up; it was like something out of an ICE raid in California, and they arrested all the Mexicans, the factory workers," Masjuan recounted.

The incident comes soon after a viral, tense altercation Itsaragrisil had with Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch earlier this month. In an exchange that was livestreamed on the Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page, Itsaragrisil singled out the Mexican delegate specifically for not participating in a photoshoot.

The exchange lasted for close to five minutes, during which he directly insulted Bosch's intelligence, calling her "dumb." Several other delegates walked out of the room in solidarity with Bosch, including last year's winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig. After the incident went viral, Miss Universe president Raúl Rocha Cantú announced on social media that Itsaragrisil was dismissed from participating in this year's pageant and that it had been postponed to "avoid any interaction" with him.

Bosch later stated, "What your director just did is not respectful. He called me dumb because he has problems with the organization. That's not fair because I do everything OK... The world needs to see this because we are empowered women, and this is a platform for our voice. No one can shut our voice."

Itsaragrisil tearfully apologized at a press conference in Bangkok, stating, "I am human. I didn't want to do anything like that," and "I am so sorry it happened. First, I have to apologize to the delegates. If anyone was affected and not comfortable with what happened, I am so sorry."

Masjuan pointed out the shared nationality between Bosch and the workers detained, as the Miss Universe organization is strongly rooted in Mexico and the majority of its employees are Mexican, potentially signaling that Itsaragrisil's actions were an act of petty revenge against Bosch and the organization.