The United States Government announced on Thursday the detention of Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr, son of sports legend Julio César Chávez, accused of being an "illegal immigrant criminal" with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The arrest, in California, occurred yesterday, days after the former middleweight world champion lost a fight against YouTuber Jake Paul, who also fought Mike Tyson a few months ago. The fight took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, with a purse of $750,000 for the Mexican and $300,000 for the American.
"On July 2, ICE arrested boxer and illegal immigrant criminal Julio César Chávez Jr. He is currently undergoing express deportation proceedings. This affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel has an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking of firearms, ammunition, and explosives," explained the Department of Homeland Security in a statement. "Under the Trump administration, no one is above the law, not even world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel-affiliated group in the United States is clear: we will find you, and you will face consequences. The days of cartel's rampant violence are over."
The news has shaken the sports world, but the charges are more than problematic. In 2024, the boxer, originally from Culiacán, Sinaloa, a champion between 2011 and 2012 in middleweight of the World Boxing Council (WBC), who had a history of driving drunk and without a license 13 years ago, had been accused of illegal possession of weapons in the United States, and those very serious charges are what the administration is using, mixing them in a twisted way with organized crime.
Chávez Jr. has been married since 2018 to Frida Muñoz, who was romantically involved with Édgar Guzmán López, the son of the drug trafficker Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias 'El Chapo', with whom she has a daughter. That is the origin of the problems and the link that the administration uses to accuse him of being an "affiliate." The couple has two biological children, but last year they had started divorce proceedings.
According to the Department of Homeland Security statement, the boxer arrived in the USA in August 2023, legally with a B2 tourist visa, valid until February 2024. On April 2, 2024, Chávez applied for legal permanent residency, as Frida Muñoz is a US citizen. Last December, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (ICE) considered Chávez to be "a serious threat to public safety," as stated in the release, but "an entry into the DHS law enforcement system, under the Biden administration, indicated that Chávez was not a priority for immigration law enforcement. On January 4, 2025, the Biden administration allowed Chávez to re-enter the country and granted him parole at the San Ysidro port of entry."
The department led by Kristi Noem states that "after multiple fraudulent statements in his application for legal permanent residency, it was determined that he was in the country illegally and could therefore be deported on June 27, 2025. He was detained after the fight with Paul.
"This affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel with an outstanding arrest warrant for trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking that the previous administration identified this undocumented criminal as a threat to public safety but chose not to prioritize his deportation and allowed him to return to our country," stated Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "Under President Trump, no one is above the law, not even world-famous athletes."