Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed hope on Friday that boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. might serve his sentence in Mexico if he is deported following his arrest in Los Angeles. Chavez was apprehended while riding a scooter and is facing charges related to weapon trafficking and organized crime.
Authorities discovered that the boxer was illegally in the U.S. last week after he made a false claim regarding his application for permanent residency linked to his marriage with a U.S. citizen.
“We hope he will be deported and will serve time in Mexico,” Sheinbaum stated during a daily briefing, referring to Chavez’s serious allegations involving arms and drug trafficking.
The 39-year-old was surrounded by federal agents on Wednesday in an upscale area of Studio City, according to his lawyer Michael Goldstein. This arrest occurred just days after Chavez lost a match to influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim.
Chavez has been living between Mexico and the U.S. However, the Department of Homeland Security has detained him, citing that he overstayed his tourist visa past its expiration in February 2024.
He has faced several legal troubles while in the U.S. For instance, in January 2012 he was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for driving without a license or under the influence. The following June, he received a 13-day prison sentence and 36 months of probation for DUI.
In January 2023, a district judge issued an arrest warrant for him for alleged organized crime activities, including human trafficking and the illegal manufacture of weapons. More recently, in January 2024, he was arrested for possessing assault weapons and was found guilty of related charges.
DHS has indicated concerns about Chavez being associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, labeled as a foreign terrorist organization. His residency application reportedly stemmed from his past relationship with the son of notorious cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Despite being flagged as a “severe public safety threat” in December 2024 by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Agency, Chavez was permitted re-entry into the U.S. in January 2025, as the Biden administration emphasized a lack of enforcement priorities for immigration.
Ultimately, Chavez’s legal and immigration troubles raise many questions, and the developments surrounding his case are undoubtedly complex.
