Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she hopes that boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will return to the nation to serve a sentence, as he faces accusations of involvement in organized crime and firearms trafficking.
“The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said at a news briefing on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Chávez’s arrest on Thursday, accusing Chávez of making “multiple fraudulent statements on his application” and determining that he remained in the country illegally.
The agency alleged that Chávez applied for Lawful Permanent Resident status based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen linked to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Why It Matters
Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the Sinaloa Cartel, also known as Cártel de Sinaloa, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in February.
“It is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and is one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl and other illicit drugs to the United States. Cártel de Sinaloa has used violence to murder, kidnap, and intimidate civilians, government officials, and journalists,” the State Department said in a February press release.
What To Know
Chávez was arrested in California on Wednesday, several days after losing a fight with influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
DHS said Chávez has an active warrant in Mexico accusing him of involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives.
Chávez first entered the U.S. legally in August 2023 using a B2 tourist visa, which was valid until February 2024. Ten months later, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Chávez is an “egregious public safety threat.”
The DHS said an entry was made into the agency’s system that indicated Chávez was not an immigration enforcement priority. On January 4 of this year, Chávez was allowed to reenter the U.S.
“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,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
What People Are Saying
Sheinbaum, at a news briefing: “… So that there is a deportation and that he can serve the sentence, that’s the process the attorney general’s office is working on.”
McLaughlin, in a statement: “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. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
Michael Goldstein, lawyer for Chávez, in comments to Reuters: “The current allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorize the community.”
What Happens Next
DHS said Chávez is being processed for expedited removal from the U.S.
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