Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. arrested by ICE, to be deported to Mexico, officials say

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jul 03, 2025 4:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Famed Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has been arrested for entering the United States illegally and volition beryllium deported to Mexico, wherever helium faces organized transgression charges, U.S. national officials said Thursday.

The apprehension comes lone days aft the erstwhile middleweight champion lost a lucifer against Jake Paul in Anaheim, Calif.

Chávez, 39, was picked up by a ample fig of national agents portion helium was riding a scooter successful beforehand of his location successful Studio City, according to Chávez's lawyer Michael Goldstein.

"The existent allegations are outrageous and simply different header to terrorize the community," Goldstein said.

Many people crossed Southern California are connected edge as immigration arrests person ramped up, prompting protests and the federal deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to downtown Los Angeles.

Goldstein did not cognize where Chávez was being detained arsenic of Thursday morning, but said they were owed successful tribunal Monday related to weapon possession charges from past twelvemonth and were to supply an update connected his advancement successful a substance maltreatment program.

The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Chávez for overstaying a tourer visa that expired successful February 2024 aft helium entered the state successful August 2023.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services flagged ICE about Chávez last year, saying helium "is an egregious nationalist information threat," and yet helium was allowed backmost into the state Jan. 4, the bureau said.

Officials said helium has an progressive apprehension warrant successful Mexico for his engagement successful organized transgression and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives and is believed to beryllium an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Associated Press contacted Mexico's Attorney General's Office astir the charges but the bureau has not responded yet.

WATCH | Trump connected migration enforcement: 

The Trump medication said Chávez applied for a greenish paper connected April, 2, 2024, based connected his matrimony to a U.S. citizen, Frida Muñoz, the erstwhile spouse of Édgar Guzmán López, the now-deceased lad of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman.

The bureau said Chávez had submitted aggregate fraudulent statements connected his application, which led to his arrest.

Chávez had fought conscionable erstwhile since 2021 earlier his bout with Paul connected Saturday, having fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing vocation conducted successful the shadiness of his father, 1 of the astir beloved athletes successful Mexican history, a subordinate of the International Boxing Hall of Fame who won championships successful respective value classes.

The lad has failed cause tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed value portion being wide criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.

He inactive roseate to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight rubric successful 2011 and defending it 3 times. Chávez shared the ringing with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.

After battling cause addiction for agelong stretches of his career, Chávez went to a rehabilitation session successful Sinaloa and claimed to beryllium cleanable for the Paul fight. He looked successful his champion signifier successful years portion preparing for the match.

Chávez said successful an interrogation with the Los Angeles Times up of his combat with Paul that helium and his trainers were frightened by the migration arrests.

"I don't recognize the concern — wherefore truthful overmuch violence? There are a batch of bully people, and you're giving the assemblage an illustration of violence," Chávez said. "After everything that's happened, I wouldn't privation to beryllium deported."