Mexico City, Mexico — Former middleweight boxing champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by U.S. authorities in California on charges of drug trafficking and alleged ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested the Mexican boxer on July 2 in Studio City, California. Chávez Jr. had been living in the U.S. since 2022, where he maintained an erratic boxing career.
The arrest came shortly after Chávez Jr. starred in an underwhelming fight against YouTube influencer Jake Paul last Saturday. U.S. immigration officers took him into custody due to an active arrest warrant from Mexico for his alleged involvement in organized crime, as well as trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives since 2023.
Chávez Jr.’s legal troubles date back to a 2012 conviction for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in Los Angeles, which resulted in 13 days in jail and 36 months of probation. Since then, the boxer has led a turbulent life in the U.S., often marred by controversy and instability.
By 2023, a district judge issued an arrest warrant for Chávez Jr. related to organized crime and weapons trafficking. Although U.S. authorities documented that he had legally re-entered the country under a B2 tourist visa in August 2023, he was only formally arrested on January 7, 2024, and charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacture or import of a short-barreled rifle.
According to Homeland Security, Chávez Jr. applied for permanent residency on April 2, 2024, citing marriage to a U.S. citizen. Authorities allege that his wife has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, claiming she had a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
On December 17, 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services informed ICE that Chávez Jr. was considered an “egregious public safety threat.”
His arrest comes during the second term of President Donald Trump, who has renewed his hardline stance on drug trafficking, Mexican cartels, and immigration. The administration has prioritized actions such as a crackdown on undocumented immigrants and the formal designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
The son of legendary Mexican boxing icon Julio César Chávez, considered one of the greatest fighters of all time from Mexico, Chávez Jr. never quite lived up to his father’s legacy.
His troubled boxing career was frequently overshadowed by a life of excess, including a well-documented struggle with cocaine addiction that led him to spend time in rehabilitation and further derailed his time in the ring.
In an official statement, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office announced that U.S. authorities had initiated proceedings to extradite Chávez Jr. to Mexico.
“U.S. authorities have informed Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office of the arrest and stated that they have initiated the corresponding procedure for his extradition to Mexico,” the statement read.
Featured picture from US Department of Homeland Security
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