Mexican boxer Chavez Jr. deported from US over alleged cartel ties
The son of boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez stands accused of serving as a henchman for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organization this year, and of trafficking firearms and explosives.
Acccording to Mexican media, which claim to have had access to the case files, Chavez, 39, was allegedly a "hitman" used to punish members of the cartel.
"He hangs them (and) grabs them like a punching bag," the Reforma newspaper reported, citing testimony in the prosecutor's documents.
The Attorney General's Office has withheld details of the indictment.
Chavez was handed over Monday and transferred to a prison in Mexico's northwest Sonora state, according to information on the country's National Detention Registry.
"He was deported," President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters, adding there was an active arrest warrant for him in Mexico.
US authorities arrested Chavez in July for being in the United States illegally.
They also said he was wanted in Mexico for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel, one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees US immigration enforcement, said Chavez had entered the United States legally in 2023 on a tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.
He applied for permanent residency in April, 2024 "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," DHS said in its July 3 arrest announcement.
His extradition comes as US President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants as part of a promise to deport millions of people.
- Boxing legacy -
Chavez's arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles occured four days after his lopsided loss to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul before a sell-out crowd in California.
Once a top-rated boxer, Chavez won the WBC middleweight world title in 2011 and successfully defended it three times.
But his career has also included multiple suspensions and fines for failed drug tests.
Homeland Security said that in addition to the active warrant in Mexico, Chavez had criminal convictions in the United States, including for possession of an assault weapon, in January 2024 in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that police said they had found Chavez in possession of two AR-style hard-to-trace "ghost" rifles.
DHS in its announcement had expressed astonishment that the administration of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had not prioritized Chavez's deportation.
"Under President Trump, no one is above the law -- including world-famous athletes," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the announcement.
After his US arrest, the boxer's defense team sought to prevent his prosecution in Mexico by filing multiple legal appeals, which were rejected by the Mexican courts.
Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, now 63, was a world champion in three weight divisions, and held various title belts from 1984 to 1996.
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Mexico Drugs in societyFacebookTweetLink Follow Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has been deported to Mexico, where he's wanted for alleged cartel ties, following his arrest in the U.S. for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. Chávez was handed over by authorities and admitted to a prison outside of the city of Hermosillo, in the northern state of Sonora, an official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the news at her daily press conference. 'I understand he was deported. I don't know if it was yesterday or this morning, but we were informed that he was arriving in Mexico,' Sheinbaum said. Chávez, 39, had a warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged arms and drug trafficking and ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico's attorney general, said the investigation into Chávez started in 2019. The boxer, who is the son of legendary Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, was arrested July 3 days after his high-profile fight with Jake Paul in California. Sheinbaum said after the arrest she hoped the boxer would be deported to face his charges. Chávez's father was a massive celebrity in the 1980s and '90s who mixed social circles with drug dealers and claimed to have been friends with drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes. The iconic fighter defended his son following his arrest, but has not spoken since the deportation. The younger Chávez has battled drug addiction for much of his boxing career, failing drug tests, serving suspensions and egregiously missing weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport. Chavez won the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defended it three times. He shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both. In 2012, he was convicted of drunken driving in Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days in jail. In January 2024, he was arrested on gun charges. Police said he possessed two AR-style ghost rifles. He was later freed on a $50,000 bond and on condition he went to a residential drug treatment facility. The case is still pending, with Chávez reporting his progress regularly.
