MEXICO CITY (BN) — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday she expects professional boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to be deported from the United States to serve a prison sentence in Mexico for charges related to arms trafficking and organized crime.
The 39-year-old former WBC middleweight champion was taken into custody this week by U.S. immigration authorities in Los Angeles. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Chávez Jr. was found to be in the country illegally after allegedly making fraudulent statements on his 2024 application for permanent residency, which was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen.
President Sheinbaum, addressing the matter during her daily press briefing, confirmed that Mexico has had an outstanding arrest warrant for Chávez Jr. since 2023. The warrant stems from a federal investigation launched in 2019.
“He has mostly resided in the United States, which made his apprehension difficult,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “Now, with the legal process underway, we expect deportation proceedings to be completed so he can serve his sentence in Mexico.”
The boxer, son of Mexican ring legend Julio César Chávez Sr., was arrested Wednesday at his Studio City residence in Los Angeles, according to his attorney Michael Goldstein. The lawyer said more than two dozen immigration officers carried out the arrest and blasted the allegations as “outrageous” and “calculated to incite fear.”
Chávez Jr. is suspected by U.S. authorities of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization. Homeland Security officials have yet to publicly detail the evidence supporting the alleged links.
His wife, Frida Muñoz Chávez, was previously married to Edgar Guzmán, the late son of notorious cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Edgar was killed in 2008, years before “El Chapo” was captured and extradited to the U.S., where he is now serving a life sentence. Sheinbaum said she had no confirmed information on Chávez Jr.’s alleged cartel ties.
Chávez Jr., once hailed as one of Mexico’s most promising boxers, has seen his career tarnished by controversy. In 2009, he was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. In 2013, he faced further sanctions for marijuana use.
Most recently, Chávez Jr. fought YouTube celebrity-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, losing by unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
The Mexican Attorney General’s Office is now coordinating with U.S. authorities to facilitate Chávez Jr.’s deportation, Sheinbaum confirmed.
Reuters
