GUADALAJARA - A BEAUTY queen from the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa has been arrested, along with several companions, carrying weapons and thousands of dollars in cash, authorities in the western state of Jalisco said on Tuesday.

Beauty queen Laura Zuniga, 23, was arrested while traveling with six men in two vehicles carrying weapons and US$100,000 (S$144,000 )in cash, official sources said.

The men included Angel Garcia Urquiza, brother of Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, also known as 'The Doctor,' who was detained in 2005 and suspected of running a major drug cartel.

Zuniga was crowned 'Miss Sinaloa' in July and also won the Queen of Hispanic America contest in November in Bolivia.

At the time of the arrests, authorities said they found two AR-15 rifles, three pistols, 633 cartridges, 16 cellphones and about 100,000 dollars in the vehicles.

The seven detained 'were just coming to town. They came from different places and the young woman said that the money was for making purchases in Bolivia and Colombia,' said Jalisco public security director Alejandro Solorio.

The arrest took place following an anonymous complaint in Zapopan, in the suburbs of Guadalajara, Mr Jalisco.

Zuniga is originally from Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa, birthplace of one of Mexico's most powerful cartels.

Ricardo Garcia Urquiza was considered the head of the Juarez cartel and identified as responsible for between 15 and 20 percent of the cocaine consumed in the United States, for annual profits of 660 million dollars.

Nuestra Belleza Mexico ('Our Mexican Beauty'), which runs the country's biggest beauty pageant, distanced itself from 'any unlawful activity,' in a press statement. -- AFP