Department of Homeland Security officials said Thursday that agents arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Los Angeles after accusing the former middleweight champion of links to the Sinaloa cartel.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mr. Chavez, 39, on Wednesday near his residence in Studio City for overstaying his visa and lying on his green card application.
Authorities said they’re seeking Mr. Chavez’s expedited removal because he poses an “egregious public safety threat” due to his ties to the powerful Mexican crime syndicate through his American wife, Frida Munoz.
Ms. Munoz was married to the now-dead son of former Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The former couple share a daughter.
The gang is largely blamed for trafficking fentanyl into the U.S. The potent synthetic opioid is the main culprit in a deadly overdose crisis gripping the nation.
“Under President Trump, no one is above the law — including world-famous athletes,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “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.”
Mexican authorities on Thursday began the process for Mr. Chavez’s extradition. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said it has an outstanding arrest warrant for the boxer from March 2023 in connection with an organized crime investigation revolving around weapons trafficking.
Mr. Chavez lost a bout against influencer Jake Paul on June 28 in Anaheim, California.
DHS said Mr. Chavez entered the country in August 2023 on a tourist visa that lasted until February 2024. He applied to become a lawful permanent resident two months later on the basis of his marriage to Ms. Munoz, but officials said he made “multiple fraudulent statements” on his forms.
Immigration authorities deemed him a public safety threat in December, but the department said his removal wasn’t prioritized until June 27.
Mr. Chavez has prior convictions in California for drunk driving in 2012 and illegal gun charges in 2024.
Homeland Security officials said a California judge issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Chavez in 2023 on allegations of gun trafficking for organized crime purposes.
“This Sinaloa cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition and explosives was arrested by ICE,” Ms. McLaughlin said in her statement. “It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and come back into our country.”
Mr. Chavez’s father is a legendary figure in Mexican culture. Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., 62, won multiple world titles during his 25-year career.
The younger Mr. Chavez had more modest success, winning the World Boxing Council middleweight title in 2011.
The family published a statement about Mr. Chavez Jr.’s arrest on his father’s Instagram page.
“In these difficult times, we reiterate our full and unconditional support for Julio,” the post said. “We fully trust in his innocence and his human qualities, as well as the justice institutions in both Mexico and the U.S., in whom we place our hope for this situation to be clarified according to the law and the truth.”
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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