World famous boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been deported to Mexico and jailed following his arrest by ICE agents in Los Angeles last month for allegedly being in the U.S. illegally and lying on a green card application.
Chavez, 39, was also wanted in Mexico for his alleged involvement in organized crime and firearms trafficking and ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, according to Homeland Security.
Chavez was handed over by authorities and admitted to a prison outside of the city of Hermosillo, in the northern state of Sonora, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press.
“I understand he was deported. I don’t know if it was yesterday or this morning, but we were informed that he was arriving in Mexico,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Attorney General of Mexico Alejandro Gertz Manero said the investigation into Chavez started in 2019, and the warrant for his arrest had been in place since March 2023. His family and lawyer have denied the allegations of his cartel connections.
Chavez was arrested in Los Angeles in early July, just days after a high-profile boxing match against Jake Paul.
At the time, the Department of Homeland Security said Chavez entered the country legally with a tourist visa in August 2023, but that it was only valid until February of last year. Despite him allegedly being flagged as a “public safety threat,” he had entered the U.S. from Mexico multiple times since then, according to the feds.
Investigators said they also determined Chavez made multiple fraudulent statements while seeking permanent resident status. They decided on plans to arrest him on June 27, one day before the bout with Paul, even though he’d been back in the country for months and his presence in the U.S. was widely known.
It’s unclear why the agency waited to arrest him until after the fight.
In addition to his alleged cartel connections, Chavez has a criminal history in California dating back to 2012, when he was convicted of drunk driving and sentenced to 13 days in jail. In January 2024, he was arrested on gun charges, with police saying he possessed two AR-style ghost rifles.
Chavez Jr.’s father is legendary boxer Julio Cesar Chavez. He has not spoken publicly about his son’s deportation.
With News Wire Services
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