Mexico President expects boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to be deported, hopes he serves sentence in home country
Chávez was found to be in the country illegally last week after he made fraudulent statements on a 2024 application for permanent residency based on his marriage to a US citizen.
Advertisement
'The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico,' Sheinbaum said during her daily news briefing Friday, referring to charges that Chávez faces for arms and drug trafficking.
The 39-year-old boxer, according to his attorney Michael Goldstein, was picked up on Wednesday by a large number of federal agents while he was riding a scooter in front of a home where he resides in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City, near Hollywood.
The arrest came only days after the former middleweight champion lost a match against influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California.
5 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. enters the ring before his fight against Jake Paul at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on June 28, 2025.
via REUTERS
Advertisement
5 Chavez Jr. throws a Punch at Paul during their cruiserweight boxing match.
AP
Chávez split his time between both countries. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Chávez for overstaying a tourist visa that he entered the US with in August 2023 and expired in February 2024, the US Department of Homeland Security said.
According to the department, Chávez Jr. has been charged with several crimes while in the US.
On Jan. 22, 2012, the California Highway Patrol arrested Chávez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and driving without a license.
Advertisement
On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chávez of the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months' probation.
5 Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at the National Palace in Mexico City on June 25, 2025.
REUTERS
5 Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested Wednesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Studio City, Calif.
Department of Homeland Security
On Jan. 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chávez for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges and explosives without the corresponding permit.
Advertisement
On Jan. 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chávez and charged him with Illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacture or import of a short-barreled rifle. The court convicted Chávez of these charges.'
DHS also suspects Chávez is allegedly believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Chávez's application was based on his marriage to a US citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, according to DHS.
According to DHS, in December 2024, US Citizenship and Immigration Services had made a referral to ICE that Chávez was an 'egregious public safety threat,' but he was allowed to reenter the country on Jan. 4, 2025 after records indicated the Biden Administration had not made him an immigration enforcement priority.
5 Chavez Jr. poses for pictures during a weigh-in before his bout against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 5, 2017.
LatinContent via Getty Images
The Biden administration allowed Chávez to re-enter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry, accorrding to DHS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bad Bunny's ‘NUEVAYol' Video Arrives on Fourth of July With Pro-Immigrant Message: ‘Together We Are Stronger'
Bad Bunny has dropped a powerful political statement on Friday (July 4) with the release of his new video 'NUEVAYol.' In the video, which celebrates Latin culture in New York, the global superstar pays tribute to the Puerto Rican diaspora and delivers a sharp critique of Donald Trump's anti-immigrant policies. More from Billboard Bad Bunny Posts Video Slamming ICE Raids in Puerto Rico: 'Sons of B–ches' BLACKPINK Is 'Ready to Jump' in What Looks to Be a New Music Teaser: Listen Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom's Reps Address Split: They've 'Been Shifting Their Relationship' One of the most striking moments in the video happens when a voice that sounds like Trump echoes through a vintage '70s radio. The message is clear and direct: 'I made a mistake. I want to apologize to the immigrants in America,' says the AI-powered Trump voice. 'I'm in the United States. I know America is the whole continent. I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…' Aside from being an artistic gesture, it is a Fourth of July statement at a time when immigrant communities in the United States are the target of an aggressive deportation campaign. Just Thursday, Congress passed Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which bolsters ICE's power with 10,000 new agents and 100,000 additional detention center beds. This is not the first time Bad Bunny has spoken out against the inhumane treatment of immigrants. In June, the artist slammed ICE in a video recorded in Carolina, Puerto Rico, where officers are seen detaining several people in the streets. 'Those mother—-ers are in these cars, RAV4s. They came here… sons of bi—es, instead of letting the people alone and working,' Benito says in the video. In the 'NUEVAYol' video, directed by Renell Medrano, Bad Bunny not only critiques anti-immigrant policies, but also proudly celebrates his Puerto Rican heritage. In one standout scene, the Statue of Liberty's forehead is draped with a massive Puerto Rican flag. The video closes with a powerful message in Spanish: 'Together We Are Stronger.' Watch the video for 'NUEVAYol' below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
ACLU of Colorado urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation of members of the public
ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation ACLU urges Denver Immigration Court to stop what it says is intimidation The ACLU of Colorado is raising concerns about transparency inside Denver's immigration courthouse. On Thursday, the organization sent a formal letter accusing court staff and federal agents of restricting public access -- and in some cases, detaining legal observers without cause. CBS The ACLU says the ability for the public and media to monitor court proceedings is being blocked, raising concerns about basic civil liberties. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintains it is simply enforcing the rule of law. "It is fundamental that members of the public, members of the press, need to see what is happening in our immigration courts," said Tim Macdonald, legal director for the ACLU of Colorado. Legal observers and attorneys say they've recently been silenced, shut out, and in some cases, even handcuffed while attempting to observe proceedings. "It's really been in the last three or four weeks that we've seen this amped-up effort to limit public access," Macdonald said. He added that the lack of transparency contradicts the very principles of democracy. "Democracy dies behind closed doors. Democracy dies in the darkness," he said. "We've heard rhetoric from this administration about the types of people they claim to be deporting -- but the facts are contrary." Christina Brown, an immigration attorney with the Colorado Asylum Center, called recent developments "unprecedented." "In the 12 years I've practiced law, that has never happened before," Brown said. "So that's something really new -- and really scary -- for a lot of people." Attorneys and advocates say enforcement efforts have ramped up significantly in recent weeks. Observers once quietly allowed to sit in on hearings are now being told to leave. "If you are not there with a client, and you say you're observing, they will make you leave," Brown added. ICE responded to the ACLU's concerns by stating that the current administration is "implementing the rule of law," reversing previous policies that allowed undocumented individuals to be released without a notice to appear. In a statement, the agency added: "Most aliens who illegally entered within the past two years are subject to expedited removals." A spokesperson for the Executive Office for Immigration Review under the U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment for this story. Advocates argue the current process isn't fair to those trying to adjust their legal status. "Entering the country without inspection is not a crime -- it's a civil infraction," Brown said. "It's like being sued for an unpaid bill, the court ruling against you, and then police coming to arrest you. It's a huge escalation for people trying to follow the rules." The ACLU is calling on the immigration court to reverse course and restore public access. Advocates say what's at stake is more than courtroom visibility -- it's the foundation of due process itself. The following document is the letter sent by the ACLU of Colorado:
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reports: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was directed to beat cartel members 'like a punching bag'
Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) claims former world champion boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was a "henchman" of the Sinaloa Cartel. Chavez Jr., 39, was taken into custody Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Studio City, Calif., for what the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said was an active warrant out of Mexico. According to a report from Mexican newspaper Reforma (via Mi Morelia), Chavez Jr. allegedly punished members of the Sinaloa Cartel by beating them up under the direction of a leader, Nestor Ernesto Perez Salas, aka "El Nini." An indictment states FGR intercepted phone calls between December 2021 and June 2022, which detailed how "El Nini" ordered subordinates who made mistakes to be tied up and hanged so Chavez Jr. could beat them "like a punching bag." Wiretaps of alleged drug traffickers and immigration records shared by U.S. agencies were presented as evidence. Chavez Jr. is to be deported to Mexico, although no date has been set. The U.S. government claims he has ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in addition to improper documents to remain in the country legally. Chavez Jr. lost a unanimous decision to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on June 28 in a 10-round bout in Anaheim, Calif. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Reports: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. directed to beat up cartel members
