What to KnowMexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested by federal agents at his Studio City home in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.DHS said the arrest stems from an active warrant in Mexico and allegations of links to the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel.The arrest was four days after Chávez Jr. was defeated Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a 10-round cruiserweight fight.The son of former multi-division boxing champ Julio César Chávez, 62, is accused of multiple “fraudulent statements” on an application for lawful permanent residence, DHS says. Chávez Jr.’s attorney called the ICE operation “nothing more than another headline to terrorize the Latin community.”
Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has been deported from the United States to Mexico, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Sheinbaum was asked about the deportation proceeding during her morning press conference on Tuesday.
“I understand he was deported. I don’t know if it was yesterday or this morning, but we’re informed that he was going to arrive in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.
The president also said, “There was an arrest warrant (against Chávez Jr.). This was communicated several weeks ago. When he was arrested there (in Los Angeles), there was an arrest warrant in Mexico from the Attorney General’s Office.”
Chávez Jr. was arrested in July by federal agents in Los Angeles’ Studio City area in connection with an active warrant in Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security said. The 39-year-old former WBC middleweight world champion was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents just days after a bout in Anaheim.
The arrest stemmed from allegations of links to the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel according to the DHS.
After Chávez Jr.’s arrest, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the country has had a warrant for his arrest since 2023 that was part of an investigation that began in 2019. Sheinbaum said Mexico hadn’t previously arrested the boxer on a 2023 arrest order because he had been mostly been in the United States since.
The arrest outside his Studio City residence was four days after Chávez Jr. was defeated at Honda Center in Anaheim by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a 10-round cruiserweight fight.
Chavez Jr. claimed the middleweight title in June 2011 and defended the title three times. The son of a former multi-division boxing champion was born in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico and embarked on his professional boxing career as a teenager, making his debut in September 2002.
DHS said the arrest stems from an active warrant in Mexico and allegations of links to the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on July 3, 2025.
The arrest came after weeks of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area after President Trump made the issue a central part of his campaign. Operations have been reported in residential areas, car washes, home improvement store parking lots and other locations.
The DHS said Chavez Jr. entered the country in August 2023 with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until 2024. He filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status last year based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, whom the department also accused of having connections to the Sinaloa Cartel “through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.”
In December, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez Jr. is an “egregious public safety threat,” DHS said. In January, Chavez was allowed to re-enter the country at the San Ysidro Port of Entry near San Diego.
He is accused of multiple “fraudulent statements” on the application for lawful permanent residence, according to the DHS, which deemed him removable from the United States on June 27.
On July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
He is now being processed for expedited removal from the United States. This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and… pic.twitter.com/c4QeRVpCEr
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 3, 2025
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. 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,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “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.”
Chavez Jr. has faced legal troubles in the United States, including a January 2024 arrest of illegal possession of an assault rifle. He spoke with NBCLA after the arrest and said he was “ready to move forward.”
NBCLA spoke with Chávez Jr.’s attorney after the DHS announced the arrest.
“This appears to be nothing more than another headline to terrorize the Latin community,” attorney Michael A. Goldstein said, referring to recent immigration enforcement operations in Southern California. “On the case involving guns, a court granted mental health diversion, which Mr. Chávez was both eligible and suitable for under state statutes. He is in full compliance with his diversion, has completed all requirements asked of him, and we expect the case to be dismissed under the diversion statutes.
Goldstein was asked about the cartel allegations.
“This is the first we’ve ever heard of these outrageous allegations,” he said.
In January, the Trump administration designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in an order that said the organizations “constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime.”
Family members released a statement at the time of the arrest in July.
“Our family is profoundly concerned with the situation. During these difficult times, we reiterate our complete and unconditional support for Julio. We trust fully in his innocence and his character as we do the justice system in Mexico and in the U.S., hopeful the situation will clear up, adhering to his rights and the truth,” wrote the Chavez family in the statement.
During the immigration enforcement raids in Southern California, the administration has highlighted arrests involving undocumented individuals with violent crime convictions. Those who have been caught up in the nationwide raids include asylum seekers, people who overstayed their visas and migrants awaiting their day in immigration court.