Gabriel took the crown on Saturday during the annual competition, which was held this year at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Gabriel held her hands up in shock as the contestants congratulated her.
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She then smiled to the crowd as the first moments of her reign began to soak in.
At one point, Gabriel pointed up to the sky, overcome with emotion.
Gabriel is the first Miss USA to win Miss Universe in 10 years. The last Miss USA to take the crown was Olivia Culpo in 2012.
Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel took second place this year, followed by Miss Dominican Republic Andreína Martínez.
During the final question round, Gabriel was asked how she would demonstrate Miss Universe as an empowering and progressive organization.
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"I would use it to be a transformational leader," she said. "As a very passionate designer, I've been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good."
"We all have something special, and when we plant those seeds to other people in our life, we transform them and we use that as a vehicle for change," she added.
Gabriel, 28, is a model, fashion designer, and sewing instructor from Houston, Texas, who has her own sustainable clothing line. She's the first Filipino American to win Miss USA.
"I would never enter any pageant or any competition that I know I would win," Gabriel told E! News on October 6. "I have a lot of integrity. I want to be transparent, and I want everybody to know that there was no unfair advantage and nothing was rigged."
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