Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. arrested and jailed after being deported to Mexico
Chávez had been arrested in the U.S. in July and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Tuesday, Aug. 19 that the 39-year-old had been deported to Mexico.
A former middleweight world champion, Chávez was arrested July 2 in Southern California and then detained by ICE, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Mexican prosecutors allege he acted as a henchman for the Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. Chavez Jr's lawyer and family have rejected the accusations.
Mexico's national arrest registry showed that he was arrested at a checkpoint in the border city of Nogales and transferred to a federal institution in Sonora's capital of Hermosillo.
Chávez is a Mexican citizen and was being processed for expedited removal from the United States after his arrest, according to DHS, which said Chávez has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
His arrest came four days after losing a high-profile boxing match to celebrity boxer Jake Paul.
Chávez, the son of legendary Mexican fighter Julio César Chávez Sr., held the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and 2012. He was critical of immigration raids in Los Angeles.
In August 2023, Chávez entered the country legally with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.
Chávez was on a scooter by his home in Studio City, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, when he was detained by ICE agents, according to the Associated Press, which also reported Chàvez would appear in court Monday.
In January 2024, Chávez was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of felony gun possession charges after police said they found him in possession of two AR-style ghost rifles, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times.
He pleaded not guilty to the gun possession charges and agreed to enter a residential treatment program, according to those reports. Court records indicate Chávez was granted pretrial diversion. As of the last progress report on June 18, he was still in the program, said Greg Risling of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's June 25.
In its press release, DHS stated former President Joe Biden's administration allowed Chávez to reenter the country in January and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry in California.
Chávez Jr. says ICE immigration raids 'scared me'
Chávez trained in Los Angeles before the fight against Paul and addressed the immigration raids that triggered protests in the city's downtown.
"It even scared me, to tell you the truth, it is very ugly,' he told the Los Angeles Times for a story published June 23. 'I don't understand the situation, why so much violence. There are many good people and you are setting an example of violence to the community.'
He also addressed federal agents wearing masks and not identifying themselves while targeting workers who appeared to be immigrants, according to the Los Angeles Times.
'Seeing children left alone because their parents are grabbed,'' Chávez said. '... That is common sense, we are people and we are going to feel bad when we see that situation.''
Contributing: Reuters
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