Homeland security said that the 39-year-old boxer, son of Mexican world champion fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, is suspected of ties to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organisation.
His wife, Frida Munoz Chavez, was previously married to the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a US prison. The son, Edgar, was assassinated in 2008.
Chavez is the target of a Mexican arrest warrant on allegations of involvement in organised crime and firearms trafficking, homeland security said.
In Mexico, Chavez' family they “fully trust in his innocence”.
Chavez lost to influencer-turned-boxer Paul, 28, last weekend before a sold-out crowd in Anaheim, California, in a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
He was allowed to enter the US temporarily in early January under former president Joe Biden, homeland security said. He had previously overstayed a tourist visa, it said.
The agency said Chavez was convicted in LA in 2024 on weapons charges. Goldstein denied he was convicted, saying he pleaded not guilty and was granted mental health diversion which will result in dismissal of the charges.
Chavez won the WBC middleweight championship in 2011, but lost the title the next year.
His career has been overshadowed by controversies, including a suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in 2009 and a fine and suspension after testing positive for marijuana in 2013.
His record stands at 54 wins, six losses and one draw with 34 knockouts.
Reuters
US arrests and seeks to deport Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr
Image: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images via REUTERS.
US immigration authorities have arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in Los Angeles and plan to deport him, they said on Thursday, days after he lost a high-profile bout to American rival Jake Paul.
The US department of homeland security said Chavez was determined to be in the country illegally last week after he made fraudulent statements on a 2024 application for permanent residence. He is married to a US citizen, it said. Michael Goldstein, a lawyer for Chavez, said more than two dozen immigration agents arrested the boxer at his home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“The allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorise the community,” Goldstein said.
Homeland security said that the 39-year-old boxer, son of Mexican world champion fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, is suspected of ties to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organisation.
His wife, Frida Munoz Chavez, was previously married to the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a US prison. The son, Edgar, was assassinated in 2008.
Chavez is the target of a Mexican arrest warrant on allegations of involvement in organised crime and firearms trafficking, homeland security said.
In Mexico, Chavez' family they “fully trust in his innocence”.
Chavez lost to influencer-turned-boxer Paul, 28, last weekend before a sold-out crowd in Anaheim, California, in a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
He was allowed to enter the US temporarily in early January under former president Joe Biden, homeland security said. He had previously overstayed a tourist visa, it said.
The agency said Chavez was convicted in LA in 2024 on weapons charges. Goldstein denied he was convicted, saying he pleaded not guilty and was granted mental health diversion which will result in dismissal of the charges.
Chavez won the WBC middleweight championship in 2011, but lost the title the next year.
His career has been overshadowed by controversies, including a suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in 2009 and a fine and suspension after testing positive for marijuana in 2013.
His record stands at 54 wins, six losses and one draw with 34 knockouts.
Reuters
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