Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. arrested by ICE for alleged ties to Sinaloa Cartel: DHS
Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., son of the legendary fighter, has been arrested and is being processed for "expedited removal" from the United States due to alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.
Chavez was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday in Los Angeles' Studio City neighborhood, DHS said. He is allegedly in the country illegally and had been flagged as an "egregious public safety threat," according to DHS.
Chavez, 39, lost to boxer and influencer Jake Paul in a fight on Saturday night in Anaheim, California.
He has an active arrest warrant in Mexico "for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives," DHS said in a press release.
"Chavez is also believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel," which President Donald Trump designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on his first day in office, DHS said.
Mexico's Attorney General's Office confirmed in a statement that an arrest warrant for Chavez was issued in Mexico in March 2023 for "organized crime and arms trafficking," and that U.S. authorities have initiated the process for his extradition to Mexico.
Chavez was arrested after allegedly overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application, according to DHS.
The boxer entered the country in August 2023 with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024, according to DHS. He filed an application for lawful permanent resident status in April 2024, according to DHS.
"Chavez's application was 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 the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman," DHS said.
Chavez allegedly made "multiple fraudulent statements" on his lawful permanent resident application, according to DHS.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services flagged Chavez as a public safety threat to ICE in December 2024, though his removal was not prioritized, according to DHS.
He was determined to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27, the department said.
"Under President Trump, no one is above the law -- including world-famous athletes," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "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."
According to DHS, Chavez has prior convictions in California for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012 and illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacture or import of a short-barreled rifle in 2024.
In January 2023, a judge issued an arrest warrant for him for "organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives without the corresponding permit," DHS said. A California district judge issued the warrant, according to a source.
Chavez is a former middleweight world champion. ABC News has reached out to his manager for comment.
His father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., is one of the greatest boxers of all-time and a huge celebrity in their native Mexico.
In a statement published to his father's Instagram page, the Chavez family said they are "deeply troubled by the current situation."
"In these difficult times, we reiterate our full and unconditional support for Julio," the statement said. "We fully trust in his innocence and his human qualities, as well as the justice institutions in both Mexico and the U.S., in whom we place our hope for this situation to be clarified according to the law and the truth."
