Julio César Chávez Jr., a former middleweight champion and son of the celebrated Mexican boxing icon, was reportedly taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Studio City, California, this week.
The arrest—occurring just days after his high-profile bout against Jake Paul—came amid allegations tying Chávez Jr. to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and charges sheathing him in organized crime and weapons trafficking.
Federal authorities revealed that Chávez Jr., 39, entered the United States on a tourist visa in August 2023, which expired in early 2024. He later applied for permanent residency and cited a marriage to a U.S. citizen.
Homeland Security documents accuse him of submitting multiple false statements in that application.
The boxer was formally flagged as an “egregious public safety threat” in late 2024, though he was granted reentry into the country under a parole program earlier this year. U.S. officials also disclosed that he faces an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico since March 2023 for alleged firearms trafficking and explosives offenses—charges he adamantly denies.
Chávez Jr.’s attorney denounced the move as politically charged, calling the accusations “outrageous” and suggesting the case aimed to “terrorize the community.” He emphasized that his client’s public workouts never drew law enforcement attention.
In a sharply worded statement, a Department of Homeland Security official declared that Chávez Jr. is firmly within ICE’s sights. “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-renowned athletes,” the official said, underscoring the administration’s intensified crackdown on cartel affiliates, now classified as terrorist organizations.
The Sinaloa cartel, long accused of major drug trafficking and violence, was officially designated as such in early 2025.
Chávez Jr. remains in ICE custody as expedited deportation proceedings advance. He is slated for a court hearing next week connected to a separate weapons possession case from 2024.
The timing of the arrest—with the fanfare surrounding his defeat to Paul still fresh—has prompted debate. Many are questioning why enforcement occurred only after the highly publicized match, which drew wide media attention.
In Mexico, Chávez Jr. remains a polarizing figure. Once the holder of the World Boxing Council middleweight title in 2011, he is also known for his tumultuous career—marked by failed drug tests, suspended competition, and erratic behavior.
Friday’s detention adds a dramatic new twist to a saga intertwined with familial legacy, celebrity, and alleged cross-border criminal ties.
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