A Mexican beauty queen arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking was ordered jailed for another 40 days yesterday while investigators probe suspected ties to violent smuggling gangs.

A judge ordered Laura Zuniga, the current Miss Sinaloa who was nabbed at a military checkpoint on Monday along with seven heavily armed men, to stay behind bars during the investigation, the attorney general's office said in a statement. One of the men arrested with Ms Zuniga, 23, is linked to the leadership of the Juarez cartel, which operates lucrative smuggling routes into the United States, investigators said.

Ms Zuniga, who won the Miss Sinaloa title in July and was to compete in the Miss International 2009 pageant next year in Asia, was the capo's girlfriend, police say.

The dark-haired model was named "Queen of Hispanic America 2008" in a contest in Bolivia.

Soldiers found two assault rifles and more than $55,000 in cash inside the vehicles in which Ms Zuniga and the men were travelling, investigators said.

Ms Zuniga is the latest well-known figure to be linked to drug traffickers this year in Mexico, where President Felipe Calderon is battling powerful cartels with soldiers and federal police.

Top anti-drug security chiefs have been accused of passing vital intelligence to kingpins and police arrested seven soccer players and club directors at second division Mapaches de Nueva Italia in October. Prosecutors suspect the team is being financed by a drug gang for money laundering purposes.