Julio Cesar Chavez Jr to be deported after arrest days after Jake Paul loss
Jake Paul 's recent opponent, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, has been arrested and is now facing deportation from the US.
The rivals squared off last weekend in a cruiserweight clash in Anaheim, where Paul swiftly took charge, piling on the pressure from the get-go. Chavez Jr, once a middleweight world champion, struggled to get a real foothold of the contest and barely threw anything back at the American.
In the final two rounds of the dust-up, Chavez Jr started to find his feet, but it was a case of too little, too late, with Paul securing the victory by points. Just days after their showdown, Chavez Jr found himself arrested for a warrant in Mexico. The 39-year-old is rumoured to have cartel ties and faces charges of organised crime and arms trafficking.
He is currently being processed after being taken into custody in the Los Angeles area. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and is processing him for expedited removal from the United States," declared the agency, reports All Out Fighting.
"Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organised crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives." Chavez Jr, the son of boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, hails from Sinaloa, Mexico. He kicked off his professional boxing career in September 2002 and has since faced opponents such as Canelo Alvarez, Daniel Jacobs, Anderson Silva and Andy Lee.
According to US officials, Chavez Jr entered the country in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024. The 39-year-old applied for Lawful Permanent Resident status last year due to his marriage to a US citizen - but the department alleged they had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel through a previous relationship with the now-deceased son of notorious cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.
It alleged fraudulent statements were made on his application to become a resident. "This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE," stated DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
"It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritise his removal and let him leave and come back into our country. Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over."
The Mexican boxer has been detained by US authorities on multiple charges, including illegal possession of an assault weapon for which he was convicted in January 2024. Previously, he faced an arrest warrant for allegedly trafficking weapons for a criminal organisation.
Michael Goldstein, representing Chavez Jr, has fiercely defended his client against the allegations, telling Sports Illustrated they are "outrageous" and constitute "a brazen act designed to terrorise the community." He also highlighted the distress caused to Chavez Jr's family, who were left in the dark about his whereabouts after more than two dozen ICE and other law enforcement agents arrested the ex-world champion.
According to Goldstein's statement to SI: "Mr. Chavez is not a threat to the community. In fact, he is a public figure and has been living out in the open and just fought Jake Paul in a televised boxing match before millions of viewers. His workouts were open to the public and afforded law enforcement countless opportunities to contact him if he was indeed a public threat. The truth is, he has been focused on his own personal growth, family and mental health."
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