Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's legendary father breaks silence on son's ICE arrest over 'cartel links'
Just days after his defeat against Jake Paul in Anaheim, California at the end of June, Chavez Jr was arrested 27 miles away in Los Angeles for overstaying his US visa and lying on a green-card application, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In Mexico, the 39-year-old son and namesake of the country's greatest ever boxer is also wanted on allegations of drug and gun trafficking.
The DHS said last Thursday that they are 'processing him for expedited removal from the United States' due to a warrant in Mexico. As for the timing of the arrest, they claimed Chavez Jr's June 28 loss to Paul occurred one day after he became determined to stay in the country illegally.
Mexico has since confirmed that it issued an arrest warrant for Chavez Jr in 2023. The country's officials and the DHS 'started the corresponding procedure for his extradition to Mexico,' it was revealed last week. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has also expressed hope that he will be imprisoned upon return.
Amid plans to deport his son back to their homeland, Chavez Sr - one of the greatest fighters in boxing history - has claimed his son is innocent and that he is by no means a criminal.
'It's complicated, there's a lot of talk, but we're calm because we know my son's innocence,' the 62-year-old told the El Heraldo newspaper. 'My son will be anything you want, anything, but he is not a criminal and less everything he's being accused of.'
Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico's Attorney General, said on Sunday that the investigation against Chavez Jr started in 2019 after a complaint filed by US authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking.
'He knows a lot of people, we live in Culiacan , it would be impossible not to know all of the people that are doing illicit stuff, but that does not mean nothing,' Chavez Sr said. 'In my time I met everybody, and they did not come after me.'
Chavez senior was considered one of the best Mexican boxers of all time; a world champion at three divisions. In the 1980s and '90s he was a huge celebrity who mixed with drug dealers. He claimed in the past to have been friends with drug lords Amada Carrillo Fuentes and Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.
Gertz Manero said Chavez Junior's lawyers have requested at least five injunctions in Mexico, which have been rejected because the boxer is still in the United States.
'Lawyers in the United States are working to see if he stays there, and we're prepared if he comes here,' Chavez senior said. 'We'll fight under Mexican law if he´s transferred here.'
Chavez has spent considerable time in his native Mexico and the US in recent years, but according to the Department of Homeland Security, his tourist visa expired in February of 2024. The agency further claims Chavez filed several fraudulent statements while applying for permanent residence in April of 2024 after marrying Frida Muñoz, who is related to imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.
Chavez's father has openly spoken about his own relationships with the Sinaloa Cartel and, in particular, 'El Chapo'.
In a podcast with journalist Javier Alarcon in 2021, he revealed: 'Not just El Chapo, I've met all the most wanted drug traffickers, like Amado Carrillo, El Azul [Esparragoza], and El Mayo [Zambada].
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Mexico's president calls march against mass tourism 'xenophobic.' Critics blame government failures
A fierce protest in Mexico City railing against gentrification and mass tourism was fueled by government failures and active promotion to attract digital nomads, according to experts, who said tension had been mounting for years. The criticism comes after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum alleged that Friday's protest was marked by xenophobia, reviving a debate over an influx of Americans in the city. Many Mexicans say they've been priced out of their neighborhoods — in part because of a move made by Sheinbaum in 2022, when she was the Mexico City mayor and signed an agreement with Airbnb and UNESCO to boost tourism and attract digital nomads despite concern over the impact short-term rentals could have. 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' On Friday, that came to a head. A largely peaceful protest of hundreds of demonstrators marched through tourism centers of the city with signs reading 'Gringo: Stop stealing our home' and 'Housing regulations now!' Near the end of the march, a group of protesters turned violent, breaking the windows of storefronts and looting a number of businesses. In one case, a protester slammed a butter knife against the window of a restaurant where people were hiding, and another person painted 'kill a gringo' on a nearby wall. 'The xenophobic displays seen at that protest have to be condemned. No one should be able to say 'any nationality get out of our country' even over a legitimate problem like gentrification,' Sheinbaum said Monday. 'We've always been open, fraternal.' The frustrations were built upon years of mass tourism and rising rent prices in large swathes of the city. The influx of foreigners began around 2020, when Americans flooded into the Mexico City to work remotely, dodge coronavirus restrictions and take advantage of cheaper living costs. In the years since, choice neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa, lush central areas dotted with cafes and markets, have grown increasingly populated by foreign tourists and the remote workers known as digital nomads, and there are more temporary housing units rented through companies like Airbnb that cater to tourists. As they have, rent and living prices have soared and English has been increasingly common on the streets of those areas. Some groups have described the phenomenon as a sort of 'neo-colonialism." Mounting tensions The Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Front, one of the organizations behind the protest, it was 'completely against' any acts of physical violence and denied that the protests were xenophobic. Instead, the organization said the protest was a result of years of failures by the local government to address the root of the problems. 'Gentrification isn't just foreigners' fault, it's the fault of the government and these companies that prioritize the money foreigners bring,' the organization said in a statement. Meanwhile 'young people and the working class can't afford to live here.' In its list of demands, the organization called for greater rent controls, mandates that locals have a voice in larger development projects in their area, stricter laws making it harder for landlords to throw out residents and prioritizing Mexican renters over foreigners. Mexico's protest comes on the back of a wave of similar protests across Europe railing against mass tourism. Tensions in Mexico have also been compounded by wider inequalities and the Trump administration targeting Latino communities in the U.S. as it ramps up deportations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security took a jab at protesters Sunday, writing in a post on the social media platform X: 'If you are in the United States illegally and wish to join the next protest in Mexico City, use the CBP Home app to facilitate your departure.' Government failures Protesters' cries against government failures were echoed by experts, who said that surging gentrification is a product of both shortage of affordable housing in the city and longtime government failures to regulate the housing market. Antonio Azuela, lawyer and sociologist and others said that they do see the protest as a xenophobic backlash, and around 2020 the core of the problem was the influx of 'digital nomads' in the city, but it grew out of hand because of lax housing laws. 'What has made this explode is lack of regulation in the market,' Azuela said. Mexico City's government over the course of decades has made a few efforts to control development and create affordable housing. Legislators estimated there are about 2.7 million houses and apartments in the city, but it needs about 800,000 more. But such affordable housing developments that have popped up often are pushed off to the fringes of the city, said Luis Salinas, a researcher at National Autonomous University of Mexico who has studied gentrification in Mexico City for years. Taking advantage of 'insufficient' laws Controls, meanwhile, have been marked by lack of enforcement, which developers travel services companies like Airbnb take advantage of, he said. Today, more than 26,000 properties in Mexico City are currently listed on Airbnb, according to the Inside Airbnb, an advocacy organization that tracks the company's impact on residential communities through data. That's compared to 36,000 properties in New York City and 19,000 in Barcelona, where protests have also broken out. 'The government has treated housing like it's merchandise,' Salinas said. The actions the government is taking 'are completely insufficient. The federal government needs to be intervening far more nowadays.' Airbnb said it helped contribute more than a billion dollars in 'economic impact' to Mexico City last year and that spending by guests has supported 46,000 jobs in the city. 'What's needed is regulation based not on prohibitions, but on respect for rights and transparency of obligations," it said in a statement. Last year, Mexico City's government approved the most ambitious rent control law since the 1940s in an effort to control prices and also set caps on short-term rentals to 180 nights a year, but Salinas said that enforcement of short-term rental legislation has been put on pause until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. And even then, the country's government will have to take far greater actions to get the situation under control, said Azuela. 'This isn't going to end by just reigning in Airbnb,' he said. 'They're going to have to do a whole lot more.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Michael Madsen got sober months before shock death at 66 after years of battling with alcoholism
Michael Madsen was recently sober when he died, having finally overcome his years-long battle with alcohol. The Reservoir Dogs star found sobriety in the last few months prior to his shock passing at 66 on Thursday, sources told TMZ. The beloved actor — who was arrested for driving drunk after crashing his Land Rover into a pole in 2019 — was making a significant effort to turn his life around. However, insiders are uncertain about his state of mind in the days before he passed away, though they believe he was still committed to his recovery program. The Kill Bill icon was found 'unresponsive' at his Malibu home early Thursday morning. Madsen was pronounced dead at the home. His management later claimed he had died from cardiac arrest. Madsen had battled alcohol addiction for years, and frequently spent time in rehabilitation programs, including in 2013 when he was court ordered to enroll in rehab for 30 days to treat his 'severe alcohol problem.' Amid his alcohol struggles, he also battled with depression as well as a troubled marriage to wife DeAnna. His son Hudson tragically died by suicide in 2022 aged 26. According to the sources, the actor was in a constant cycle of trying to get his drinking under control. Despite his own struggles, Madsen consistently tried to help others by mentoring individuals facing similar challenges at a Malibu recovery facility. Madsen's longtime friend and assistant, Dougie Smith, told TMZ the actor seemed to be in good health just a week before he died, and even had a routine doctor's appointment for his rotator cuff. Meanwhile Perry Wander, who has represented the star for 20 years, said the Kill Bill icon had 'many struggles'. 'I just spoke to Michael two days ago,' Wander told Daily Mail, admitting that 'I knew he was not well.' 'Michael was suffering from the effects of alcoholism. He had multiple stints in and out of rehab. He struggled to maintain his sobriety. He was not happy about his life.' Madsen was also facing a crippling legal battle with his estranged wife, which saw the pair fighting over child support and other finances, his lawyer claimed. 'I blame her for putting in the screws over his last years of life,' Wander said, alleging the legal battle, which saw his passport be 'maliciously revoked', impacted his ability to travel and work abroad. 'Michael lived a life of regrets - those regrets being his two marriages,' he added. Madsen had battled alcohol addiction for years, and frequently spent time in rehabilitation programs, including in 2013 when he was court ordered to enroll in rehab for 30 days to treat his 'severe alcohol problem'; Pictured in 2019 Madsen's youngest son paid an emotional tribute to his beloved actor father after his shock death at 66 on Thursday. Luke Madsen, one of the three sons the actor welcomed with wife DeAnna, took to Instagram to laud his father and 'tell Hudson I said hi' - in honor of his brother who died by suicide in 2022. Sharing three childhood snaps with his father, he wrote: 'Some Peoples Hero's Wear Capes. And Fly Shooting Lasers Out Of Their Eyes. Some peoples Hero's Can Fight Off Armies And Overcome Anything.' My Hero Wore A Cowboy Hat. My Hero Stood Taller And Stronger Than Any Man I've Ever Met. 'My Hero Understood Me Better Than Anyone. My Hero Is The Coolest Most Badass Human Being I Know. 'Not Only Was My Hero A Famous Tough Guy Movie Star. My Hero Was My Father. And He Was. Damn Good One. 'Love You Pops. I'll See You Again Someday. Tell Hudson I Said Hi.' [sic]. Luke, along with members of his heartbroken family rushed to the Reservoir Dogs star's home on Thursday as news of his death broke. Hours after his death, obtained photos of Madsen's heartbroken family — including his estranged wife DeAnna — gathering outside his house. A man who looked to be Madsen's son Max, 31, consoled DeAnna while standing in the home's driveway as more family members arrived. Madsen's eldest son Christian, 35, and his youngest son Luke, 19, also appeared to be at the scene. A statement from the star's representatives to read: 'In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film including upcoming feature films Resurrection Road, Concessions and Cookbook for Southern Housewives, and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life. Luke, one of the three sons the actor welcomed with wife DeAnna, took to Instagram to laud his father and 'tell Hudson I said hi' following his death; Hudson is pictured left, Luke front, with his brothers and mom DeAnna 'Madsen was also preparing to release a new book called Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems. 'Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood's most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.' Madsen was best known for his frequent collaborations with director Quentin Tarantino, starring in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). He also starred in 1997's Donnie Brasco as Sonny Black. Madsen is survived by his five children, estranged wife DeAnna and his actress sister Virginia Madsen. He was first wed to Georganne LaPiere, half-sister of singer and actress Cher from 1984-1988. He welcomed a daughter named Jessica with Dana Mechling. He was married to Jeannine Bisignano from 1991 to 1995. They have two sons, Christian and Max. In 1996, he married DeAnna. Together they had three sons, Luke, Kalvin and Hudson. His death comes 11 months after his domestic violence case - where he was accused of shoving wife DeAnna - was dismissed due to 'insufficient evidence.' 'We are thrilled that Michael Madsen is able to put this behind him and look forward to our continued collaboration with more great things coming from this veteran and respected actor,' his representative said at the time. The star was arrested for domestic violence amid claims he got physical with his spouse. He also allegedly locked her out of their home, which is located in the Los Angeles area. The Reservoir Dogs star was given a misdemeanor domestic violence charge at the time. He also had to spend part of his weekend in jail, before posting a $20,000 bond. Days later in a statement to THR, Madsen's lawyer Perry Wander insisted that his client was 'not guilty of domestic violence.' A representative for the star confirmed the incident saying: 'It was a disagreement between Michael and his wife, which we hope resolves positively for them both.' Madsen filed for divorce from DeAnna in September 2024 - and in court papers obtained by he accused his estranged wife of driving their son to die by suicide 'by her neglect, drinking and alcoholism.' A month later, he issued a regretful Instagram statement apologizing for his claims and denying he had wanted to end their marriage. He said: 'Losing a child is the hardest and most painful experience that can happen in this world. I deeply apologize for not correcting this earlier but I love my wife and our other 4 children and have no desire for divorce or blame. 'She had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to our son. It was a horrible loss and choice that was made for reasons that truly cannot ever be known because the person is gone, I don't think my son is dead, I think he escaped from a life that didn't make sense anymore.' It wasn't Madsen's first brush with the law. In 2022 the Hollywood actor was arrested for trespassing at a luxury house from which he was evicted, reported. It was a $5.3 million Malibu mansion just across the Pacific Coast Highway from La Costa Beach. A source exclusively told at the time: 'Michael had been living at the house since last year, but the lease was in another person's name.' The house was leased out by another person and several thousand dollars were owed in back rent, has learned. The owner had tried for the past two years to get the tenants evicted, but because of the moratorium on evictions on account of Covid, it took several months to go through the legal process. His arrest came just a month after his son, US Army Sgt. Hudson Madsen shot himself dead on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he was stationed with the 25th Infantry Division. Hudson was an Afghan war vet. Hudson's death came a week after his wife Carlie underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her breast. 'I am in shock as my son, whom I just spoke with a few days ago, said he was happy - my last text from him was 'I love you dad,'' he told the Los Angeles Times. 'I didn't see any signs of depression. It's so tragic and sad. I'm just trying to make sense of everything and understand what happened.' Madsen said his son's marriage was 'going strong' and he had recently completed his first tour in the U.S. Army. 'He had typical life challenges that people have with finances, but he wanted a family. He was looking towards his future, so its mind-blowing. I just can't grasp what happened.' Madsen has requested a full military investigation into his son's death. The actor thinks 'the officers and rank and file were shaming' Hudson for wanting therapy. He believes this stopped him from seeking help for mental health issues he had been keeping to himself. In 2019, the actor was axed from a $100,000 role in movie Confessions of a Serial Killer after crashing his Land Rover into a pole and subsequently being arrested for DUI. He was later sentenced to four days in jail. In 2012 he was also arrested for DUI after driving erratically but struck a plea deal that involved attending AA meetings in lieu of more severe punishment. However, after Madsen failed to attend his court ordered Alcoholics Anonymous meetings his probation was revoked. That same year he was arrested at his Malibu home after allegedly getting into a physical fight with his son after catching him smoking marijuana. The actor was being held in jail on $100,000 bail after being charged with child endangerment with cruelty to a child: a felony charge, which means it is considered a crime of high seriousness. He did not face any charges after his arrest for suspected child endangerment.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Families confirm five people died in blast at California fireworks warehouse
Family members are still searching for answers following last week's explosion at a fireworks warehouse in northern California. Authorities confirmed on Sunday that the remains of the seven people missing in the blast have been recovered. Family and community members have confirmed five of the victims as Jesus Ramos, Jhony Ramos, Joel 'Junior' Melendez, Angel Voller and Carlos Rodriguez. Two victims are still unidentified. A GoFundMe page has been set up for brothers Jhony and Jesus Ramos. Jesus, the younger of the pair, was a soon-to-be father whose first day on the job coincided with the deadly explosion. 'He was excited to be a dad. Only two months and we were just waiting for this, a new opportunity, a new chapter. He saw it as a new chapter in our life,' Syanna Ruiz, Jesus Ramos' girlfriend, told ABC10, Sacramento's ABC affiliate. 'He was excited.' Joel Melendez's mother told the same outlet that she remains without answers surrounding the explosion that claimed the life of her 28-year-old son, who was a father of one with another baby on the way. 'He's my baby,' Lupe Melendez Mendoza told ABC10. 'And I don't know, I'm not getting answers. I don't know where he's at. I don't know what happened. I just know that he loves his wife.' All human remains have been recovered from the charred warehouse site, but the identities of the deceased were being withheld pending family notifications. Two people were treated for injuries following the blast in the town of Esparto, Yolo county officials said in a statement Sunday. The warehouse was managed by Devastating Pyrotechnics, which has more than 30 years of experience designing and producing fireworks shows, according to a screenshot of its website before it was taken down. 'Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,' the company said in a statement last week. 'Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.' The wildfire covered nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) and scorched surrounding agricultural fields, officials said.
