Days after fighting social media influencer Jake Paul in a high-profile bout in California, Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by ICE agents on Wednesday and is in the process of being deported from the United States over alleged cartel ties and other infractions, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Thursday.
Chávez Jr., the son of longtime boxer Julio César Chávez, entered the country on a tourist visa in August 2023, which expired in February 2024, according to Thursday’s release.
DHS officials say Chávez Jr. made fraudulent statements on his recent immigration application and has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for alleged involvement “in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives,” according to the release.
CNN has attempted to contact a representative for Chávez Jr. for comment.
His attorney told the Associated Press the current allegations against his client are “outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community.”
The boxer filed for permanent residency in April 2024 based on his marriage to a US citizen, who DHS officials say is connected to the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico through a past relationship with one of the now-deceased sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the former leader of the cartel.
He was allowed to reenter the country on January 4 and the US government determined he was in the country illegally and could be removed on June 27, the release said.
Chávez Jr. fought Paul the next day, losing in a unanimous decision to the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. 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,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the 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.”
The Trump administration has made the deportation of undocumented immigrants its top priority since the president came back into office in January. That’s taken many forms, including mass deportations of criminals and non-violent offenders alike and sending them back to their home countries, domestic camps that have been turned into detainment sites for undocumented migrants and, in some cases, using foreign prisons to house deportees.
The furor over ICE’s deportation activities set off weeks of unrest in Los Angeles and caused a dustup between the federal government and the Los Angeles Dodgers last month over the presence of US Customs and Border Protection vehicles in Dodger Stadium’s parking lot.
The fight between Paul and Chávez Jr. took place in Anaheim, California, just a few miles down the freeway from Los Angeles. The Mexican boxer was heavily cheered by the crowd, though he was soundly defeated in his second fight in four years.
The 39-year-old has a career record of 54-7-1 with 34 knockouts.
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