HERMOSILLO, Mexico (BN24) — A Mexican judge ruled that boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will stand trial on charges of cartel involvement and arms trafficking but can await proceedings outside of detention, the boxer’s attorney said Sunday.
The 39-year-old son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez participated virtually in Saturday’s court hearing from a detention facility in Hermosillo. Judge granted his release while imposing additional legal restrictions and ordering three months of further investigation.
Defense attorney Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez confirmed the court’s decision and described the allegations against his client as “speculation” and “urban legends.” If convicted, Chávez faces a potential prison sentence of four to eight years, Alvarez said.
The court prohibited Chávez from leaving Mexico during the legal proceedings, according to a federal agent who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Chávez was arrested in early July by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and providing inaccurate information on a green card application. The arrest occurred days after his high-profile boxing match against Jake Paul in Los Angeles.
Mexican authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Chávez in 2023, but officials said they had not previously detained him because he had been living in the United States for several years.
The charges against Chávez stem from a broader investigation Mexican prosecutors launched in 2019 targeting the Sinaloa Cartel on charges of organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking and drug trafficking. The investigation followed a complaint filed by United States authorities.
Chávez was subsequently deported from the United States in August and imprisoned in northern Mexico pending the legal proceedings.
Chávez Jr. has competed professionally since 2003 and held the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012. His father, Julio César Chávez Sr., is considered one of Mexico’s greatest boxers and held world championships in three weight divisions.
