Boxing legend Julio César Chávez’s son, Julio César Chávez Jr., has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in connection with alleged cartel ties and an outstanding warrant in Mexico.
Chávez, 39, was taken into custody Thursday in Studio City, California. ICE has already begun proceedings to deport him to Mexico, where he was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, TMZ reported.
Chávez’s warrant stems from alleged ties to organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives in connection with the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, according to Department of Homeland Security official Tricia McLaughlin.
“It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” McLaughlin said at a press release announcing Chávez’s arrest.
“Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences,” McLaughlin added. “The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
Chávez, a former WBC Middleweight Champion, is one of multiple-time world champion Julio César’s three children. Chávez’s younger brother is boxer Omar Chávez, 35.
Chávez’s arrest comes less than a week after his match with influencer Jake Paul at Honda Center in Anaheim, where Paul bested him, ESPN reported.
According to DHS, Chávez entered the United States under a B2 tourist visa in August 2023 that expired in 2024. He applied to be a lawful permanent resident in 2024 after marrying a U.S. citizen, who is allegedly affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel “through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman,” DHS alleged.
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