World famous boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was arrested Wednesday by ICE agents in Los Angeles, just days after a heavily promoted boxing match against Jake Paul.
Chavez, 39, has allegedly been in the U.S. illegally and is wanted in Mexico in connection to organized crime and the trafficking of firearms, ammunition and explosives, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday.
The criminal warrant for his arrest had not been previously reported, though Mexican officials confirmed Thursday that the warrant had been in place since March 2023.
Homeland Security claims Chavez is affiliated with the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. His wife, Frida Muñoz, dated Edgar Guzman Lopez, the son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, when she was younger. Guzman Lopez was killed in 2008.
The feds say Chavez entered the country legally in August 2023 with a tourist visa, but that it was only valid until February of last year. Despite him allegedly being considered an “egregious public safety threat,” he has entered the U.S. from Mexico multiple times since then as he sought permanent resident status, according to immigration officials.
His continued presence in the U.S. was not a secret. On Saturday night, he lost a pay-per-view boxing match against Paul at the Honda Center, home of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
According to Homeland Security, investigators had determined Chavez made multiple fraudulent statements on his application for a green card. They decided on plans to arrest him on June 27, one day before the bout with Paul, even though he had been back in the country for months.
It’s unclear why the agency waited to arrest him until after the fight, but they are now in the process of expediting him for deportation back to Mexico.
Before the Paul fight, Chavez spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the ICE raids in Southern California, which have put millions in the area on edge.
“I don’t understand the situation — why so much violence? There are a lot of good people, and you’re giving the community an example of violence,” Chávez said. “After everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t want to be deported.”
In addition to the latest allegations, Chavez has a rap sheet in California dating back to 2012, when he was convicted of DUI and sentenced to 13 days in jail. He was also arrested in January 2024 on illegal weapons charges.
He has previously spoken about his struggles with drug addiction and the pressure of living up to the legacy of his father, one of the most beloved sporting figures in Mexican history.
With News Wire Services
