Former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr arrested by Ice over alleged cartel ties
Chávez Jr, 39, the son of the legendary world champion Julio César Chávez Sr, was taken into custody by Ice agents on Tuesday in Studio City, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for celebrity residences. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), he had been living in the US unlawfully and posed a significant threat to public safety.
Nonetheless, just five days before his arrest, Chávez Jr was allowed to participate in a heavily promoted boxing match against the YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul in Anaheim. The fight promoter claimed that the match which Chávez Jr lost to Paul proved to be the highest-grossing boxing event ever held at Anaheim's Honda Center, with one outlet estimating it generated more than $1.5m in gate revenue.
Chávez Jr first entered the US legally on a six-month tourist visa in August 2023. He later filed for permanent residency in April 2024, citing marriage to a US citizen. That application raised alarms within federal agencies due to what officials described as 'multiple fraudulent statements' and connections to the Sinaloa cartel, a powerful drug-trafficking organization labeled a foreign terrorist group by the Trump administration.
His arrest comes amid mounting political tension over the Biden administration's immigration enforcement policies. Internal DHS documents reportedly showed that although Chávez was flagged as an 'egregious public safety threat' in December 2024, his removal was not prioritized. In January 2025, despite those warnings, Chávez was allowed re-entry into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry in California under a discretionary parole process.
'This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by Ice,' said the DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a sharply worded statement. '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.'
Federal officials allege Chávez Jr has longstanding ties to organized crime. In Mexico, he is wanted on charges of weapons trafficking and manufacturing explosives without authorization. In the United States, he has a criminal record dating back more than a decade. He was convicted of DUI in California in 2012, and more recently, in January 2024, he was convicted of illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle.
The boxer has struggled with substance abuse and legal trouble throughout his career. Once seen as a rising star in Mexican boxing, who held the World Boxing Council's version of the middleweight title from 2011 through 2012, his in-ring performances in recent years have been overshadowed by repeated arrests, erratic behavior and suspensions.
Chávez's wife – through whom he filed for a green card – has also drawn scrutiny. DHS officials say she was previously in a relationship with one of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's sons, though she has not been charged with any crime.
Chávez is currently in Ice custody and will be processed for expedited removal. A spokesperson for his legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The arrest highlights ongoing friction between immigration enforcement priorities and public safety concerns.
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