Boxing legend's son faces deportation after immigration arrest, criminal charges in US

J. Cesar Chavez Jr. faced Anderson Silva e Jake Paul in boxing. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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Former world boxing champion and son of a Mexican legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is in US federal custody with expedited deportation proceedings to Mexico. Agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) detained the 39-year-old boxer in Studio City, Los Angeles, last Wednesday (2).

The arrest comes just four days after his defeat to the influencer Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim (USA). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the arrest based on two main axes: immigration violation and links to organized crime.

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Chávez Jr. entered the United States on a tourist visa in August 2023, a document valid until February 2024. In April of this year, he applied for permanent residency based on his marriage to U.S. citizen Frida Muñoz, widow of Édgar Guzmán López – son of drug trafficker Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán. The application was denied due to "fraudulent statements" in the documentation he submitted, as confirmed by the DHS on June 27.

Connection with organized crime

Immigration authorities emphasized the existence of an active arrest warrant against the athlete in Mexico, issued in March 2023. The document accuses Chávez Jr. of involvement in organized crime and trafficking in firearms, ammunition and explosives.

The official DHS statement describes him as an "associate of the Sinaloa Fighters," an organization designated as a terrorist organization by the United States. The arrest comes amid political tensions over immigration.

Records indicate that Chávez Jr. was issued a warning by the Citizenship and Immigration Service in December 2024 for "posing a serious public danger," but returned to the country on January 4 with conditional authorization.

The fight against Jake Paul marked the Mexican's return to the ring after four years inactive. With a record of 54 wins (34 by knockout), seven losses and one draw, the former middleweight belt holder (2011-2012) was cheered by the Californian crowd, despite the unanimous defeat. He has also been defeated by Anderson Silva in mode

The response from Julio César Chávez Jr's lawyer

Michael Goldstein, the boxer's lawyer, described the accusations as "outrageous and headlines to terrorize the community." At the same time, the Mexican Attorney General's Office has begun procedures to receive the deportee, where he will answer the charges.

Videos obtained by journalists show the moment of the arrest, when the boxer was riding a scooter, popularly known as an electric bicycle, near his home.