12 hours ago
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Associated Press
Jul 3, 2025, 02:42 PM ET
LOS ANGELES -- Famed Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has been arrested for entering the U.S. illegally and will be deported to Mexico, where he faces organized crime charges, federal officials said Thursday.
The arrest comes only days after the former middleweight champion fought in a match Saturday against Jake Paul in Anaheim, California.
The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Chávez for overstaying a tourist visa that expired in February 2024 after he entered the country in August 2023.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services flagged ICE about Chávez last year, saying he "is an egregious public safety threat," and yet he was allowed back into the country Jan. 4 of this year, the agency said.
Officials said he has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, and they said he is believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel. ICE agents arrested Chávez in Studio City, California, on July 2.
Chávez's attorney Michael Goldstein said the boxer was picked up by a large number of federal agents while he was riding a scooter in front of his home in Studio City. Goldstein did not know where Chávez was being detained as of Thursday morning, but said they were due in court on Monday for his criminal charges.
The administration said Chávez applied for a green card on April 2, 2024, based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of imprisoned cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The agency said Chávez had submitted multiple fraudulent statements on his application, which led to his arrest.
Chávez had fought just once since 2021 before his bout with Paul, having fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. Chávez Jr. has failed drug tests, served suspensions and regularly missed weight while also being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport
He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.
