Home Featured News Julio César Chávez Jr. arrested for visa violation, faces deportation

Julio César Chávez Jr. arrested for visa violation, faces deportation

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Just days after stepping back into the ring, former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. has been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities and now faces deportation to Mexico, where he is wanted on serious organized crime charges.

The 39-year-old fighter was detained by federal agents while riding a scooter outside his Studio City home, bringing a dramatic halt to his attempted boxing comeback. Homeland Security officials allege that Chávez overstayed his visa and lied on his green card application, while also facing an active warrant in Mexico.

According to ICE, his tourist visa expired in February 2024, yet Chávez re-entered the U.S. in January without legal documentation. The arrest comes despite U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services warning in December that he posed an “egregious public safety threat.”

He is also accused by Mexican authorities of being affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, with charges related to trafficking arms, ammunition, and explosives. Mexico’s Attorney General has initiated extradition proceedings.

The arrest followed Chávez’s high-profile return to boxing last Saturday, when he fought Jake Paul in Anaheim after a long absence from the sport. His attorney, Michael Goldstein, called the allegations “outrageous” and believes the timing is designed to incite fear in immigrant communities.

Once hailed as Mexico’s next boxing icon, Chávez’s career has been a rollercoaster. He held the WBC middleweight belt in 2011 and went toe-to-toe with Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez. But failed drug tests, missed weigh-ins, and public struggles with addiction cast a shadow over his legacy.

Ahead of the Paul fight, Chávez told said he feared the immigration crackdown. “There are a lot of good people, and you’re giving the community an example of violence,” he said.

Now, instead of a ring redemption, Chávez faces an uncertain legal fight that could end with his forced return to a country where he’s wanted for crimes far beyond boxing.

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