Just one week after a reported 60 million households watched him fight Trump supporter Jake Paul in Anaheim, former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was arrested and detained by ICE officials and will be deported to his native Mexico.
Beyond being a champion in his own right, Chávez Jr. is the son of one of Mexico’s most revered athletes: Julio César Chávez Sr., who ruled over the (non-heavyweight) boxing world from 1984-1992, winning and defending titles in three weight classes over that period.
Chávez Jr. was arrested outside his Studio City home this morning, his attorney Michael Goldstein told the Associated Press.
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The Department of Homeland Security said ICE officers detained Chávez for overstaying his visa, which expired in February 2024. Apparently, the fighter applied for a green card in April 2024, based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen. Why DHS decided only now to arrest a highly-visible public figure was not explained. The woman he married is Frida Muñoz, the former partner of the now-deceased son of imprisoned former Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The agency maintains Chávez committed fraud in his application.
Mexico had also, according to Homeland Security, issued an warrant for Chávez’s arrest for his involvement in allegedly trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives. AP was unable to verify that assertion.
Still, despite having been flagged to ICE as “an egregious public safety threat,” Chávez was allowed back into the country on January 4, Homeland Security told AP. And it was no mystery that he was here, given the manic coverage in the lead up to his fight with Paul. In fact, the duo’s weigh in was streamed live from Anaheim last Friday. Given his love of boxing and his friendship with Paul, the fight on Saturday was probably on the radar of President Donald Trump. Chávez, by the way, lost in a decision.
“The current allegations are outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community,” said his lawyer of Chávez Jr.’s arrest and detention. He said he did not know where the fighter was being held.