LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Famed Mexican boxer Julio C茅sar Ch谩vez Jr. has been arrested for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application and will be deported to Mexico, where he faces organized crime charges, U.S. federal officials said Thursday.
The arrest comes only days after the former middleweight champion in Anaheim, California. The Department of 色色啦land Security said officials determined Ch谩vez should be arrested on June 27, a day before the fight. It was unclear why they waited to act for days after the high-profile event.
The 39-year-old boxer was picked up Wednesday by a large number of federal agents while he was riding a scooter in front of his home in Studio City, according to Ch谩vez鈥檚 attorney Michael Goldstein.
鈥淭he current allegations are outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community,鈥 Goldstein said.
Many as , prompting protests and the and U.S. Marines to .
Goldstein did not know where Ch谩vez was being detained as of Thursday morning, but said he and his client were due in court Monday related to gun possession charges from last year and were to provide an update on his progress in a substance abuse program.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained Ch谩vez for overstaying a tourist visa that expired in February 2024 after he entered the country in August 2023, the Department of 色色啦land Security said.聽
Ch谩vez also submitted multiple fraudulent statements while applying for a green card on April, 2, 2024, based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, Frida Mu帽oz, the agency said. Her previous partner was 脡dgar Guzm谩n L贸pez, the now-deceased son of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin 鈥淓l Chapo鈥 Guzman.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services flagged ICE about Ch谩vez on Dec. 17, saying he 鈥渋s an egregious public safety threat,鈥 and yet he was allowed back into the country without a visa on Jan. 4 under the Biden administration, the agency said.
U.S. officials said he has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives and is believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel.聽
Mexico鈥檚 Attorney General鈥檚 Office said that they鈥檝e initiated extradition procedures for 鈥淛ulio 鈥淐,鈥 who has had an arrest warrant in Mexico since March 2023 for organized crime and arms trafficking. A federal agent who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Associated Press that 鈥淛ulio C鈥 is Ch谩vez Jr.
Before his bout with Paul on Saturday, Ch谩vez had fought just once since 2021, having fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, Julio C茅sar Ch谩vez, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame who won championships in several weight classes.
The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.
He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Ch谩vez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo 脕lvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.
After battling drug addiction for long stretches of his career, Ch谩vez went to a rehabilitation clinic in Sinaloa and claimed to be clean for the Paul fight. He looked in his best shape in years while preparing for the match.
Ch谩vez said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times ahead of his fight with Paul that he and his trainers were shaken by the immigration arrests.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand the situation 鈥 why so much violence? There are a lot of good people, and you鈥檙e giving the community an example of violence,鈥 Ch谩vez said. 鈥淎fter everything that鈥檚 happened, I wouldn鈥檛 want to be deported.鈥
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Associated Press journalists Carlos Rodriguez and Fabiola Sanchez in Mexico City contributed to this story. Watson reported from San Diego.
