Boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Arrested By ICE, Believed To Be Associated With Infamous Drug Cartel
Chavez had a bout against Jake Paul in late June
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday that Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and is being processed for "expedited removal from the United States."
This news comes less than a week after Chavez was in the ring for a match against boxer and influencer Jake Paul, which Paul won after 10 rounds by unanimous decision.
According to DHS, Chavez is a Mexican citizen with an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives. He is believed to be an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Chavez was arrested on July 2 in Studio City, California, and is said to have arrived in the United States legally on a B2 tourist visa in August 2023; however, that visa expired in February 2024.
Furthermore, Chavez had applied for Lawful Permanent Resident. However, that was denied due to his wife's previous relationship with the now-deceased son of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. walks to the ring for his fight against Jake Paul on June 28. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Chavez Was Reportedly Not A ‘Priority’ For The Biden Administration
Even wilder, the DHS press release announcing Chavez's detainment revealed that US Citizenship and Immigration Services had made a referral to ICE in December of 2024 — which would have been under the Biden administration — that he was an "egregious public safety threat."
The release states that despite this, Chavez was not determined by the previous administration to be an "immigration enforcement priority."
Chavez was allowed reentry into the country on January 4, 2025, through San Ysidro.
"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 not to prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. "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."
The release also mentions that Chavez had several run-ins with law enforcement as far back as 2012 and as recently as January 2024.