Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr was a cartel henchman, Mexican prosecutors claim
Chávez, 39, son of legendary world boxing champion Julio César Chávez Sr and himself a former middleweight titleholder, was arrested in California on Tuesday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, who cited cartel affiliations, multiple criminal convictions and an active arrest warrant in Mexico for weapons trafficking and organized crime.
Deportation proceedings are under way, Ice officials have said.
The new details of his alleged crimes in Mexico were revealed in an indictment issued Friday by the country's office of the attorney general (abbreviated FGR for its Spanish name) – and reported by the newspaper Reforma via the online outlet mimorelia.com.
The court filing states that Chávez was in the service of Néstor Ernesto Pérez Salas, a leader of the Sinaloa cartel known as El Nini, who directed him to beat rival gang members his group had captured.
Salas would order the victims to be tied up then hanged from a ceiling, and Chávez Jr – who married the mother of a granddaughter of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán – would be directed to beat them as if they were punchbags he used during training for his boxing career, the document alleges.
Related: Former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr arrested by Ice over alleged cartel ties
The information, the FGR said, came from phone calls intercepted between December 2021 and June 2022 using wiretaps.
Additional evidence, including immigration records, was obtained from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Ice. According to immigration authorities, Chávez entered the US in August 2023 on a legally held visa, but it expired in February 2024.
Chávez then applied for legal permanent US residency based on his marriage to Frida Muñoz, an American citizen.
Muñoz's prior relationship with one of El Chapo's sons drew scrutiny from US officials. Though she has not been charged with any crime, in December 2024, Chávez was reportedly flagged in internal DHS documents as an 'egregious public safety threat', though his removal from the US was not prioritized.
Despite that assessment and a criminal record dating back more than a decade, Chávez was allowed re-entry into the US at the San Ysidro port of entry in California in January under a discretionary parole process approved by Joe Biden's outgoing presidential administration.
Chávez had been convicted of driving while intoxicated in California in 2012. And in January 2024, he was convicted of illegal possession of an assault weapon and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle.
Chávez's most notable sporting feat was winning the World Boxing Council's version of the middleweight title in June 2011. The native of Culiacán, Sinaloa, successfully defended it four times before losing it in September 2012.
His arrest on 2 July occurred in Studio City, a Los Angeles neighborhood known for its celebrity residences. He was detained five days after he lost to Jake Paul, the YouTuber turned boxer, in a lucrative, heavily promoted fight in Anaheim reported to have taken in $1.5m in gate receipts alone.
The Trump administration has designated the Sinaloa cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
After Chávez's arrest, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of the DHS, criticized the Biden administration for not expelling or detaining him, despite an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition and explosives.
'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,' she said in a statement.
McLaughlin's statement said Chávez's status as a 'world-famous' athlete meant nothing to the Trump administration.
'Our message to any cartel affiliates in the US is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences,' the statement said. 'The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.'
In its own statement, the Chávez family expressed 'total and unconditional support' for Julio Jr, who the document described as 'a son, a father and a human who has grappled with multiple challenges in his personal and professional life'.
'We are completely confident in his innocence and quality as a human – as well as in the justice systems of both Mexico and the US,' the family's statement said. 'We hope this situation will resolve itself according to the law and the truth.'
On his X account over the weekend, Chávez's father – now a well-known commentator – republished a post from another user that asserted Julio Jr was in rehab.
The post that the elder Chávez republished also denied Julio Jr belonged to a cartel.
Ramon Antonio Vargas contributed reporting
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
13 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Mom of Two US Citizens Faces Deportation After Reporting Assault to Police
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Federal authorities are deporting a Michigan mother of two U.S. citizens after she reported an alleged assault to police. Veronica Ramirez-Verduzco, 49, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States from her native Mexico and was ordered to pay a $100 fine before being handed over to immigration authorities for removal from the country, according to the Detroit Free Press. Her deportation follows her attempt to seek help from police following alleged workplace harassment in southeastern Michigan. Why It Matters Ramirez-Verduzco's case illuminates the risk some crime victims face when interacting with local law enforcement due to current federal immigration enforcement practices. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records reviewed by Newsweek show Ramirez-Verduzco being detained at the Calhoun County Correctional Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. What to Know Ramirez-Verduzco was not previously targeted by federal immigration authorities, but became known to officials only after she reported workplace harassment to the Van Buren Township Police Department earlier this year. She had been employed at a Belleville assisted living facility. People affiliated with the 50501 movement gather at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, April 19, 2025, to protest the Trump administration on the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. People affiliated with the 50501 movement gather at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, April 19, 2025, to protest the Trump administration on the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Image/AFP via Getty Images During their investigation, police ran her information through a statewide system typically used for criminal suspects, which resulted in an automatic notification to federal immigration enforcement. Federal authorities then secured a warrant and later detained her. Local police said they did not intentionally refer her to ICE. Newsweek reached out to ICE, the Van Buren Township Police, and attorney Lisa Dwyer for comment. Prosecutors argued that Ramirez-Verduzco's repeated illegal entries and alleged false statements in employment records warranted a significant sentence to deter further violations. She ultimately received a sentence of time served. Dwyer argued that she is a nonviolent individual devoted to her family and work, rejecting the notion that she fit the profile of a high-priority deportation target. The incident comes amid a broader rise in local federal immigration charges, with the number of cases filed in early 2025 already surpassing the combined numbers of the previous two years. Last week, Cuban reggaeton artist and U.S. permanent resident Leamsy Izquierdo, known artistically as Leamsy La Figura, alleged that detainees at the newly opened "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida are enduring unsanitary, cold and inhumane conditions. Also last week, dozens of Iranian employment-based green card applicants filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that a new presidential travel ban has unlawfully derailed their immigration process. Curtis Morrison, an immigration attorney and owner of Red Eagle Law who represents the Iranian immigrants, previously told Newsweek that he has a "high" confidence level that his clients will be provided due consideration. What Happens Next Ramirez-Verduzco is being removed to Mexico, with her family preparing to relocate to a border town to remain together.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Cop beats Homeland Security agent in ‘parking lot rage' at CA Costco, lawyer says
A man working for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is suing a San Diego police officer accused of beating him in a 'parking lot rage' at a California Costco, leaving him with a concussion and a dislocated shoulder, his attorney said. According to a federal lawsuit brought by Chu Ding, 53, of San Diego, he was knocked unconscious by Officer Jonathan Ferraro during the July 2, 2024, assault, then was wrongfully detained as officers 'denied (him) food, water and medical care' for five hours. A complaint filed July 1 says the assault stems from when Ferraro blocked Ding, who is a DHS agent, in a parking space with his truck at a Costco on Carmel Mountain Road. Footage provided to McClatchy News by attorney Julia Yoo, who represents Ding, shows the truck pull up in front of Ding and block his parked car. Ding is seen walking over to the truck and tapping on it before returning to his car. The video shows the truck slowly driving forward in response, then reversing back into the same spot, in front of Ding. Afterward, Ding tapped on the trunk of the truck 'to let Ferraro know that he was leaving,' resulting in a violent reaction, the complaint says. Ferraro emerged from his vehicle and called Ding a 'Chinese piece of (expletive),' according to the complaint. He then pushed Ding. 'When Mr. Ding refused to back down, Ferraro who is two decades younger, picked Mr. Ding up and slammed him into the ground,' the complaint says. The physical altercation was captured in the video, which ends with Ding seen lying in the parking lot. In an emailed statement to McClatchy News on July 8, Yoo said Ferraro 'directed his frustration toward an innocent victim who was attempting to give him a parking space.' 'Ferraro engaged in conduct that is illegal for anyone as well as being intemperate and racist,' Yoo also said, adding that 'this was egregious conduct.' In addition to Ferraro, Ding's lawsuit names multiple San Diego police officers and the city as defendants. He is suing on 11 causes of action, including excessive force, wrongful detention and false arrest. The city attorney's office said it is unable to comment on the litigation and declined McClatchy News' request for comment on July 8. The San Diego Police Department did not return a request for comment. Yoo told McClatchy News that 'the worst thing in the case was that Ferraro conspired with at least four other officers to falsify an arrest report and deny a seriously injured man water and medical care to try to extort an apology to justify his own misconduct.' The lawsuit says six San Diego officers arrived at Costco and handcuffed Ding after he was slammed to the ground. Ding was detained in a patrol car for a few hours, when one officer learned he worked for DHS, according to the complaint. Then he was taken to a police station. At the station, the complaint says, Ding was pressured into writing Ferraro an apology letter. When Ding finished the letter, he was falsely arrested on a felony charge of obstructing or resisting an officer, according to the complaint. A police commander ultimately ordered one officer to take Ding to a hospital, following a request from Ding's wife. He was seen that evening at Scripps Health San Diego Emergency Room between 7:45 and 8:30, about five hours after he was detained at Costco, according to the complaint. Ding was diagnosed with a fractured rib and a contusion, along with a dislocated shoulder and concussion, the filing says. He was then released around midnight and booked into the San Diego Central Jail, where his bail was set at $20,000, according to the complaint. He remained in jail until about 2 or 3 p.m. on July 3, 2024, when he posted a $1,800 bond, the filing says. Ding's arrest caused him physical and reputational harm, as his DHS 'coworkers discovered immediately that Mr. Ding had been booked into the Central Jail,' the complaint says. DHS initiated an internal investigation into Ding, who was cleared of wrongdoing several months later, according to the lawsuit. The San Diego District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Ding more than a week after his arrest, the complaint says. The filing includes three photos of Ding's injuries, stemming from his arrest, including two showing bruising and marks on his right shoulder and arm. The lawsuit argues Ding's mistreatment by San Diego police is linked to a larger pattern of the department's officers using 'excessive and unnecessary force.' With the lawsuit, Ding seeks an unspecified amount in compensatory, special and punitive damages and demands a jury trial. Ding and his attorneys are also calling for an investigation. 'We demand a thorough and independent investigation not just of Ferraro but of the individual officers and their supervisors for their role in charging an innocent man with a felony,' Yoo told McClatchy News. 'If they feel emboldened enough to do this to another law enforcement agent, imagine what they must do to assault, frame and extort regular citizens,' Yoo added.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
ICE Arrests Cuban Man Convicted of Hijacking Plane in 2003
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A man who hijacked a Cubana Airlines plane is among those recently taken into custody by federal immigration agents, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He was convicted in the United States that year for the crime and spent nearly two decades in jail before being released in 2021. Why It Matters The arrest comes as President Donald Trump directs immigration authorities to arrests migrants without legal status as he looks to fulfill his promise of mass deportations. The White House has said anyone living in the country unlawfully is a "criminal." What To Know In the spring of 2003, Wilson-Gonzalez, armed with a grenade, attempted to direct the pilot to fly the plane from Cuba's Isle of Youth to Miami. Due to insufficient fuel to cross the Florida Straits, the pilot made an emergency landing at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. After a 14-hour negotiation, Wilson-Gonzalez was detained and 22 passengers were permitted to disembark. The aircraft resumed its flight to Key West, Florida, with 25 passengers and six crew members aboard, accompanied by U.S. fighter jets. No one was injured in the incident. File photo shows ICE agent conducting enforcement operations. Inset shows Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, who hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He... File photo shows ICE agent conducting enforcement operations. Inset shows Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, a 56-year-old Cuban national, who hijacked a Cubana Airlines Antonov 24 aircraft carrying passengers from Cuba to Key West, Florida in 2003. He was convicted in the United States in 2003 for the crime and spent nearly two days in jail before being released in 2021. More ICE/AP Wilson-Gonzalez was one of 1,361 individuals arrested in the Houston area last month who had entered the United States illegally and are either facing criminal charges or have prior criminal convictions, ICE said. Among those arrested were 32 individuals convicted of child sex offenses, nine convicted of homicide-related crimes, and 16 identified as members of transnational gangs or drug cartels, according to ICE. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston field office also apprehended Arnulfo Olivares Cervantes, a 47-year-old Mexican national and former member of the Mexicles gang who was arrested on June 13. According to ICE, Olivares Cervantes has entered the United States illegally six times and has multiple convictions, including two for trafficking cocaine, as well as convictions for attempted murder, evading arrest, illegal entry, and drug possession. Luis Pablo Vasquez-Estolano, 29, a Mexican national who has been deported six times, was arrested on June 10. Vasquez-Estolano has previous convictions for homicide, aggravated robbery, burglary of a vehicle, and drug possession, ICE said. Jose Meza, a 40-year-old Mexican national, was arrested on June 24. ICE reported that Meza has illegally entered the U.S. four times and has been convicted of sexual assault of a minor and theft. Javier Escobar Gonzalez, 51, also from Mexico, was arrested on June 23. According to ICE, Escobar Gonzalez has been convicted of sexual indecency with a minor, criminal trespass with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated, and unauthorized use of a firearm. Police surround the hijacked AN-24 Cuban Airlines aircraft as it is refuelled Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at the Jose Marti Airport in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Jose Goitia) Police surround the hijacked AN-24 Cuban Airlines aircraft as it is refuelled Tuesday, April 1, 2003 at the Jose Marti Airport in Havana, Cuba. (AP Photo/Jose Goitia) AP Photo/Jose Goitia What People Are Saying ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez said in a statement: "Despite attempts by some to undermine our mission by spreading false and malicious rumors, the brave men and women of ICE continue to work tirelessly around the clock targeting dangerous criminal aliens to restore integrity to our nation's immigration system and bolster public safety in our communities." "The number of dangerous criminal aliens that they removed from local communities across Southeast Texas last month is just another example of their selfless and unyielding efforts to return our local communities to places where we can all raise our families without having to worry about child predators, gang members, or other violent criminal aliens preying on our loved ones." Adermis Wilson-Gonzalez, speaking after he completed his prison sentence for the hijacking, according to the Havana Times: "I have nothing to reproach the US government for, because I don't think their punishment was unjust. I committed a crime, they found me guilty of breaking the laws, and I served my time right up to the last day, with respect for this country. For the first time since I was born, I'm a free person, because in Cuba I was never free."
