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ICE arrests boxer Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.
U.S. migration officials person arrested celebrated Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. - days aft his high-profile fight with Jake Paul - for overstaying his visa and lying connected a greenish paper application, officials said Thursday.
Chávez was detained successful beforehand of his location connected Wednesday and volition beryllium deported to Mexico, wherever helium faces organized transgression charges, authorities said.
Here's what to cognize astir this arrest:
Who is Chávez?
The 39-year-old boxer is simply a erstwhile middleweight champion hails from Mexico. His father, Julio César Chávez, is 1 of the astir beloved athletes successful Mexican past and a subordinate of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The lad has battled cause addiction for overmuch of his lengthy boxing career, failing cause tests, serving suspensions and egregiously missing value portion being wide criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.
The younger Chavez inactive roseate to the heights, winning the WBC middleweight rubric successful 2011 and defending it 3 times. Chávez shared the ringing with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.
In 2012, helium was convicted of drunken driving successful Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days successful jail. Then successful January 2024, helium was arrested connected weapon charges. Police said helium possessed 2 AR-style shade rifles. He was aboriginal freed connected a $50,000 enslaved and connected information helium went to a residential cause attraction facility. The lawsuit is inactive pending, with Chávez reporting his advancement regularly.
Jake Paul (Red-Blue & achromatic short) and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (Red & White short) speech punches during their cruiserweight bout of the Premiere Boxing Championship connected Saturday nighttime astatine Honda Center successful Anaheim, California connected June 28, 2025.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Chávez was distant from the ringing for 3 years earlier his instrumentality precocious past year, but Paul's invitation brought him backmost again.
Where was helium arrested?
According to his attorney, Michael Goldstein, Chávez was picked up Wednesday by a ample fig of national agents portion helium was riding a scooter successful beforehand of a location wherever helium resides successful the upscale Los Angeles vicinity of Studio City, adjacent Hollywood.
Goldstein said officials blocked disconnected the thoroughfare and took Chávez into custody without informing his family. TV stations staked retired his location Thursday day and did not spot anyone permission his home.
Just days before, Chávez had faced disconnected against influencer-turned-boxer Paul and mislaid successful a highly anticipated combat successful Anaheim, California. The Department of Homeland Security said officials had determined Chávez should beryllium arrested June 27, a time earlier the fight. It was unclear wherefore they waited to enactment for days aft the high-profile event.
His apprehension comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown connected immigration, including a suit against Los Angeles' "sanctuary city" policies.
What is helium accused of?
Federal officials said successful a quality release that Chávez overstayed a tourer visa that helium entered the U.S. with successful August 2023. The visa expired successful February 2024, they said.
Homeland Security said Chávez submitted aggregate fraudulent statements erstwhile helium applied for imperishable residency connected April 2, 2024, based connected his matrimony to a U.S. citizen, Frida Muñoz.
She is the parent of a granddaughter of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. U.S. officials said helium is believed to beryllium affiliated with the almighty Sinaloa Cartel that is blamed for a important information of Mexico's cause violence. Just past week, the U.S. Justice Department revealed that the Sinaloa Cartel hired a hacker who was capable to infiltrate an FBI agent's telephone information to assistance way and termination informants.
Mexico's Attorney General's Office said that an apprehension warrant against "Julio "C was issued successful March 2023 successful an probe of organized transgression and arms trafficking allegations, and that Mexico initiated extradition proceedings connected Thursday.
A national cause who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to talk publically connected the substance confirmed to The Associated Press that "Julio C" is Chávez.
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said successful a statement that "no 1 is supra the law—including world-famous athletes."
What happens next?
Goldstein, Chávez's attorney, said helium did not cognize wherever Chávez was being detained arsenic of Thursday morning.
DHS said Thursday that helium was being processed for "expedited removal" from the country.
Chávez's household issued a connection Thursday day successful enactment of him, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"We person afloat assurance successful his innocence," the connection said. "We firmly judge that the due people is to let the competent authorities to transportation retired their enactment without outer unit oregon speculation."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Mexico hadn't antecedently arrested Chávez due to the fact that helium had been mostly successful the U.S.
"The anticipation is that helium volition beryllium deported and service the condemnation successful Mexico," Sheinbaum said during her regular quality briefing Friday, referring to charges that helium faces for arms and cause trafficking.
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