It's been just a few days since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. went up against Jake Paul in the ring. Now, he has another battle ahead of him. According to TMZ, the athlete was arrested by ICE Agents yesterday (July 2) over an active warrant out of Mexico.
Reportedly, the warrant stems from his alleged involvement in organized crime. This includes the alleged trafficking of guns, ammunition, and explosives.
For now, the outlet says he's being processed after getting picked up in the Los Angeles area, and that he'll be taken to Mexico shortly. Per a Homeland Security news release, Chavez Jr. was previously flagged as a threat to public safety. Reportedly, "the Biden administration indicated in internal records he was not an immigration enforcement priority.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr Jake Paul Fight
Chavez Jr.'s manager Sean Gibbons didn't have much to say about the arrest, but told the Los Angeles Times that they're currently “working on a few issues.” The former boxing champion has been described as an alleged “affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel" by U.S. officials. The Mexican alleged drug trafficking group has been designated a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” by the Trump administration.
In a statement, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes."
Reportedly, Chavez Jr. entered the United States legally in August of 2023 with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until last February. He applied for Lawful Permanent Resident status last April based on his marriage to Frida Chavez. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, alleges that she “is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.”
News of Chavez Jr.'s arrest comes less than a week after Jake Paul defeated him by unanimous decision in a 10-round match at the Honda Center in Anaheim. In an interview with Fight Hype after the fight, his father Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. revealed where he thinks his son went wrong through a interpretor. "He gave a good fight, he just didn’t throw enough punches in the first round," he claimed.
