U.S. immigration authorities have detained renowned Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., 39, citing an active arrest warrant in Mexico that links him to organized crime.
The arrest, announced Thursday by U.S. officials, has triggered plans to deport the former world champion back to his home country.
The development comes just days after Chavez Jr. suffered a high-profile loss in California to internet celebrity-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
According to U.S. authorities, Chavez Jr. is allegedly associated with the Sinaloa drug cartel, a claim his legal team strongly refutes.
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“Under President Trump, no one is above the law – including world-famous athletes,” stated a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson in the official announcement of his arrest.
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended Chavez Jr. in Studio City, Los Angeles, on Thursday. His recent bout with Paul had taken place the previous Saturday in Anaheim. Chavez Jr. is the son of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., a boxing legend widely regarded as Mexico’s greatest fighter.
In a statement, DHS described Chavez Jr. as a “prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien” and confirmed that he is being processed for “expedited removal.”
“Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives,” the statement continued.
Officials further allege that Chavez may have links to the Sinaloa Cartel, which President Donald Trump designated as a terrorist group upon his return to office in January. The DHS statement also revealed that Chavez applied for U.S. permanent residency last year through marriage to an American citizen, who is reportedly connected to the cartel through a previous relationship with a deceased son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Chavez Jr. has had several run-ins with the law in the U.S., including weapons-related charges. In January 2024, he was convicted of possessing an illegal assault rifle. In 2023, a U.S. judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with alleged weapons trafficking for a criminal syndicate. Earlier in 2012, he was arrested for driving under the influence and without a valid license.
He is also accused of overstaying a tourist visa that expired in February and of making multiple false declarations to U.S. immigration authorities during his residency application.
His attorney, Michael Goldstein, dismissed the arrest as a politically motivated move.
“This is nothing more than another headline to terrorise the Latin community,” Goldstein said. In response to the allegations linking Chavez to the cartel, he told NBC: “This is the first we’ve ever heard of these outrageous allegations.”
Before his fight with Paul, Chavez Jr. had expressed concerns over a wave of immigration raids in Los Angeles. During a public training session, he spoke to the LA Times about the climate of fear gripping immigrant communities.
He recounted that his own trainer had been too frightened to attend work, fearing deportation.
“I was even scared, to tell you the truth. It’s very ugly,” he said, describing immigration enforcement tactics as violent. “I’m from Sinaloa, where things are really ugly, and to come here, to such a beautiful country with everything… and see Trump attacking immigrants, Latinos, for no reason. Not being with God makes you think you know everything. Trump made a bad decision.”
He added, “After everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t want to be deported.”
