LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. immigration officers have arrested well-known Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. — days after his high-profile battle with Jake Paul — for overstaying his visa and mendacity on a inexperienced card utility, officers mentioned Thursday.
Chávez was detained in entrance of his dwelling on Wednesday and can be deported to Mexico, the place he faces organized crime expenses, authorities mentioned.
Right here’s what to find out about this arrest:
Who’s Chávez?
The 39-year-old boxer is a former middleweight champion hails from Mexico. His father, Julio César Chávez, is likely one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican historical past and a member of the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame.
The son has battled drug dependancy for a lot of his prolonged boxing profession, failing drug checks, serving suspensions and egregiously lacking weight whereas being extensively criticized for his intermittent dedication to the game.
The youthful Chavez nonetheless rose to the heights, profitable the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it thrice. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, shedding to each.
In 2012, he was convicted of drunken driving in Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days in jail. Then in January 2024, he was arrested on gun expenses. Police mentioned he possessed two AR-style ghost rifles. He was later freed on a $50,000 bond and on situation he went to a residential drug remedy facility. The case continues to be pending, with Chávez reporting his progress repeatedly.
Chávez was away from the ring for 3 years earlier than his return late final yr, however Paul’s invitation introduced him again once more.
The place was he arrested?
Based on his lawyer, Michael Goldstein, Chávez was picked up Wednesday by numerous federal brokers whereas he was using a scooter in entrance of a house the place he resides within the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio Metropolis, close to Hollywood.
Goldstein mentioned officers blocked off the road and took Chávez into custody with out informing his household. TV stations staked out his dwelling Thursday afternoon and didn’t see anybody go away his dwelling.
Simply days earlier than, Chávez had confronted off towards influencer-turned-boxer Paul and misplaced in a extremely anticipated battle in Anaheim, California. The Division of Homeland Safety mentioned officers had decided Chávez needs to be arrested June 27, a day earlier than the battle. It was unclear why they waited to behave for days after the high-profile occasion.
What’s he accused of?
Federal officers mentioned in a information launch that Chávez overstayed a vacationer visa that he entered the U.S. with in August 2023. The visa expired in February 2024, they mentioned.
Homeland Safety mentioned Chávez submitted a number of fraudulent statements when he utilized for everlasting residency on April 2, 2024, based mostly on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, Frida Muñoz.
She is the mom of a granddaughter of imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. U.S. officers mentioned he’s believed to be affiliated with the highly effective Sinaloa Cartel that’s blamed for a good portion of Mexico’s drug violence.
Mexico’s Legal professional Basic’s Workplace mentioned that an arrest warrant towards “Julio “C was issued in March 2023 in an investigation of organized crime and arms trafficking allegations, and that Mexico initiated extradition proceedings on Thursday.
A federal agent who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not approved to talk publicly on the matter confirmed to The Related Press that “Julio C” is Chávez.
What occurs subsequent?
Goldstein, Chávez’s lawyer, mentioned he didn’t know the place Chávez was being detained as of Thursday morning.
DHS mentioned Thursday that he was being processed for “expedited removing” from the nation.
Chávez’s household issued an announcement Thursday afternoon in assist of him, the Los Angeles Instances reported.
“We’ve full confidence in his innocence,” the assertion mentioned. “We firmly imagine that the right course is to permit the competent authorities to hold out their work with out exterior stress or hypothesis.”