Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday and will soon be deported to Mexico, days after his fight with fellow boxer Jake Paul.
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday announced the arrest of Chávez, who allegedly has ties to the Sinaloa cartel and has an active arrest warrant in Mexico on organized crime charges.
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“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 prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Chávez overstayed his B2 tourist visa, which lasted from August 2023 to February 2024. He also allegedly lied on his green card application by submitting fraudulent statements when requesting lawful permanent residency in April 2024, based on his marriage to a United States citizen. His wife, Frida Muñoz, is connected to the Sinaloa cartel through her prior relationship with the son of the infamous Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who remains in prison for murder and drug trafficking.
In December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services notified ICE that Chávez was an “egregious” public safety threat. Despite this warning, the Biden administration did not consider Chávez an immigration enforcement priority and allowed him to reenter the country in January.
DHs determined Chávez resided in the country illegally and should be removed on June 27, one day before his fight with Paul.
ICE arrested Chávez in Studio City, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, less than a week later.
“Under President Trump, no one is above the law, including world-famous athletes,” McLaughlin added. “Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
President Donald Trump‘s State Department listed eight crime syndicates, including the Sinaloa cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists earlier this year.
Chávez’s criminal record includes charges of illegal possession of an assault weapon, manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle, and driving without a license under the influence of alcohol or drugs. His struggle with drug addiction led to multiple arrests over the years.
Chávez’s lawyer, Michael Goldstein, said he and his client were due to appear in Los Angeles court on Monday for the gun possession charges.
Goldstein denounced DHS’s allegations as “outrageous,” casting the arrest as “another headline to terrorize the community.”
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Chávez made a similar statement ahead of his fight with Paul, who won last week’s boxing match.
“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.”