Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been deported to Mexico and is currently incarcerated in a northern facility after authorities discovered discrepancies in his visa application.
He was reportedly apprehended at a checkpoint in the border city of Nogales due to alleged connections with the Sinaloa cartel, and was subsequently transferred to a prison in Sonora, as confirmed by multiple sources.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also validated Chavez’s deportation.
Chavez, who is the son of the legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, was taken into custody following a fight against Jake Paul in early July.
Mexican prosecutors claim that the 39-year-old Chavez has served as an associate of the Sinaloa cartel.
In a response to the situation, Chavez Sr. expressed confidence in his son’s innocence to a Colombian newspaper, noting, “He may have his faults, but he is not a criminal and the accusations against him are exaggerated.”
Chavez had entered the United States legally in August 2023 on a tourist visa, which was valid until February 2024.
Earlier, he was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 over charges related to gun possession.
He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and is participating in a residential treatment program, but the legal matter remains unresolved.
Chavez previously held the WBC middleweight title in 2011, defending it three times during his championship reign.
During Chavez’s detention, a Homeland Security spokesperson stated, “No one is above the law, not even famous athletes.”
They added a stern warning to cartel associates: “We will find you and you will face repercussions.”
