U.S. immigration agents have arrested renowned Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, and are planning to deport him to Mexico.
He was taken into custody over alleged involvement in organized crime, U.S. officials announced on Thursday.
Less than a week prior to his arrest, the former middleweight world champion was defeated by Jake Paul—an influencer-turned-boxer—in a match held in California.
U.S. officials claim that Chavez Jr has ties to the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel. However, his attorney has denied these allegations.
Chavez Jr was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Studio City, Los Angeles, on Thursday.
His bout against Jake Paul took place just days earlier in nearby Anaheim. Chavez Jr is the son of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, widely regarded as the greatest boxer in Mexico’s history.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referred to Chavez Jr as a “prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien” who is currently undergoing “expedited removal” proceedings.
The DHS further stated that Chavez Jr is believed to have ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, which former President Donald Trump designated as a terrorist organization upon returning to office in January.
According to the statement, Chavez Jr applied for U.S. permanent residency last year through his marriage to a U.S. citizen who was allegedly once in a relationship with the deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán.
U.S. authorities also revealed that Chavez Jr has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times in the U.S. for various legal violations—most of them involving firearms.
In January 2024, he was arrested and later convicted for the illegal possession of an assault weapon, according to officials.
In 2023, a local judge in the U.S. issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged weapons trafficking for a criminal organization.
Nearly a decade earlier, in 2012, he was arrested for driving without a license and under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
He is also accused of making false statements to U.S. immigration authorities in his attempts to obtain permanent residency, as well as overstaying a tourist visa that expired last February.
