Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Ex-world middleweight boxing champion was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and now stands to be deported to Mexico, where he is said to have outstanding serious charges related to organised crime and arms trading.
As per a release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the 39-year-old boxer was arrested earlier this week outside his home in Studio City, Los Angeles, on a scooter. The DHS authorities said that Chavez who is a Mexican citizen, is wanted on an active arrest warrant outstanding since 2023. Chavez was suspected for his affiliations with organized crime and the sale of firearms, explosives and ammunition.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr link with Mexico’s largest criminal group
Chavez is reportedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s largest criminal groups, Police sources revealed. The Mexican Attorney General’s Office has said that “Julio ‘C'” has been under investigation for the past year.
“No one is above the law, not even world-famous athletes, under President Trump,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement given to Reuters.
Chavez, who is the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, had allegedly exceeded the validity of a tourist visa which was expired on February 2024. He initially arrived in the United States in August 2023 and was indicated to be a public safety risk, but immigration records states he was re-admitted in January 2024.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr gave forged information
Adding to his legal tensions, immigration officials claimed that Chavez has given forged information in his April 2024 application for a green card, in which he stated to be married to Frida Muñoz, an American citizen and ex-girlfriend of Édgar Guzmán López, son of the late Sinaloa cartel boss Édgar Guzmán and grandson of notorious drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
As of now, Chavez is undergoing processing for expedited removal from the United States. His attorney, Michael Goldstein, has not spoken yet on the charges in great detail, but he had confirmed that his client was taken into custody by ICE this week.
The arrest is a obviously shocking twist in the career of Chavez Jr, whose career has long been tainted by the controversies and off-ring issues. His potential deportation could only serve to make any comeback to the sport more complicated.
ALSO READ: Indian-Origin Mother Neha Gupta Arrested In Florida For Alleged Murder Of Young Daughter
