Former WBC middleweight world champion and Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Studio City, California. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Chávez Jr. is facing expedited removal from the United States due to alleged cartel ties. CBS News Los Angeles reported that ICE took Chávez Jr. into custody on Wednesday, and he is now "being processed for expedited removal" from the country.
The DHS has accused Chávez Jr. of having an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives. Alleged to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa cartel, the boxer entered the U.S. with a tourist visa in August 2023, which expired in February 2024, as detailed by DHS in a statement obtained by CBS News Los Angeles. In April 2024, he filed for lawful permanent resident status based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who allegedly also has connections to the cartel, according to information DHS shared.
This thrust into legal turmoil comes just days after Chávez Jr.'s recent loss to Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, reported by KTLA. On his father Julio César Chávez Sr.'s social media account, the family expressed their support. "In these difficult times, we reaffirm our total and unconditional support for Julio. We fully trust in his innocence and his human integrity," a family statement read. Furthermore, Chávez Jr.'s attorney, Michael Goldstein, called the allegations "outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community," in a statement provided to CBS News Los Angeles.
As a boxer who once held acclaim in the ring, Chávez Jr.'s portfolio of legal issues in the United States is not nominal, having a DUI conviction from 2012 and a federal weapons conviction in 2024, as KTLA mentioned. DHS has stressed the priority of the Trump administration on deporting immigrants with criminal records and has ensured that their enforcement operations are "highly targeted," a notion amplified in a statement by assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin, cited in an ABC News report. "Under President Trump, no one is above the law -- including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you, and you will face consequences," McLaughlin stated.
The ripple effect of Chávez Jr.'s arrest and pending deportation on the local community and his supporters, particularly in Los Angeles, is yet to be fully seen. Yet, his career record of 54-7-1 with 34 knockouts, as shared by CNN, suggests both a prowess in the ring and, now, a tumultuous legal battle outside of it. The DHS has doubled down on its stringent immigration crackdown as deportations continue to fuel controversial discussions nationwide.
