Just days after losing a match against influencer-turned-pro-boxer Jake Paul, Mexican athlete Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has been arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The song of longtime boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez took the massive blow over claims that he overstayed his visa and lied on a green card application, according to official statements shared on Thursday.
Given the current circumstances, Chavez Jr is poised to be deported back to Mexico, where he faces a warrant for alleged weapons trafficking and cartel ties, as per the Department of Homeland Security. In a statement released this week, US officials highlighted he was wanted in his home-country over alleged involvement “in organised crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.”
Slamming the allegations, the Mexican boxer’s lawyer told the Associated Press the currently raised claims against him are “outrageous and simply another headline to terrorise the community.”
About Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s arrest
The former middleweight champ lost a fight in the boxing ring against Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, late June. DHS officials have since revealed that they initially planned on arresting Chavez Jr on June 27, just a day before the high-profile bout. No further explanations have been provided as to why his arrest was then pushed back after the boxing match.
According to his attorney, Michael Goldstein, a huge group of ICE agents nabbed Julio as he was riding a scooter in front of a home he’s currently living in the luxe Los Angeles neighbourhood of Studio City near Hollywood.
Addressing his arrest, Homeland Security’s Tricia McLaughlin said, “This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritise his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country.”
She further reiterated that no one was above the law under the Donald Trump administration — even globally famed sports stars. McLaughlin also sent out a firm warning to cartel affiliates currently in the US, saying that the DHS will find them, resulting in severe consequences. “The days of unchecked carte violence are over.”
More about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
The 39-year-old athlete is the son of Julio Cesar Chavez, who is deemed the best Mexican boxer in history. He and his brother, Omar, got into the sport early on due to their father’s association with it.
Often called “The Son of a Legend” in Mexico, Chavez Jr fought as an amateur against Jorge “Maromerito” Paez, the son of yet another Mexican fighter, Jorge Paez, at just age 11. He ultimately began his professional boxing career at the age 17, beating Jonathan Hernandez in a six-round match.
Before his recent clash with America’s Jake Paul, the Mexican player got into the ring for just one fight since 2021 — a result of his drug addiction battle and other brushes with the law overshadowing his career.
On July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 3, 2025
He is now being processed for expedited removal from the United States. This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and… pic.twitter.com/c4QeRVpCEr
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s criminal history / allegations: As per his lawyer, he and the boxer were scheduled to appear in court on Monday over previous gun possession charges. The issue dates back to January 2024, when Chavez was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of an assault weapon.
Police said that he had two AR-style ghost rifles. Upon his eventual release on a $50,000 bond, officials raised the condition that he would go to a residential drug treatment facility. With the case still pending, the sports star dolls out regular updates about his progress.
Over a decade ago, Chavez was also caught for driving without a license in addition to being drunk at the time. Consequently, he was sentenced to 13 days in jail.
Mexican boxer’s visa status: On April 2, 2024, Chavez submitted multiple falsified statements as he applied for permanent residency in the US on the basis of his marriage to a country citizen, Frida Munoz. As per AP, she has family ties to imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Back in December, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) called out Chavez’s case, alerting ICE while calling the athlete “an egregious public safety threat.” He was still allowed entry into the US without a visa on January 4 while Joe Biden was still president, officials asserted.
Mexican boxer’s family speaks out
As per the Los Angeles Times, Chavez’s family extended their support to him in a statement issued on Thursday afternoon.
It read: “We have full confidence in his innocence. We firmly believe that the proper course is to allow the competent authorities to carry out their work without external pressure or speculation.”
At the time of writing, his attorney had no knowledge about where his client was being held in custody.