Julio César Chávez Jr., the former champion boxer from Mexico, has been arrested by ICE, the Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday, July 3.
Chávez, 39, is being processed for expedited removal from the United States, according to DHS, which said Chávez has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
His arrest came four days days after Chávez lost a high-profile match to celebrity boxer Jake Paul. Chávez, the son of legendary Mexican fighter Julio César Chávez Sr., lost the 10-round fight by unanimous decision at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. He was critical of immigration raids in Los Angeles.
In August 2023, Chávez entered the country legally with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.
Chávez was on a scooter by his home in Studio City, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, when was detained by ICE agents, according to the Associated Press, which also reported Chàvez will appear in court Monday.
In January 2024, Chávez was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of felony gun possession charges after police said they found him in possession of two AR-style ghost rifles, according to ESPN and the Los Angeles Times.
He pleaded not guilty to the gun possession charges and agreed to enter a residential treatment program, according to those reports. Court records indicate Chávez was granted pretrial diversion. As of the last progress report on June 18, he was still in the program, said Greg Risling of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s June 25.
‘The minute order does not indicate he has to remain in California during the two-year, diversionary period,’ Risling said, referring to a court document. ‘But if he leaves the treatment program without permission or is discharged, he has been ordered to report to the court within two business days.
‘Generally speaking, a defendant on probation needs court permission to travel and that usually applies to diversion as well.’
On July 3, Risling referred questions about Chávez’s case to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which Risling said handles diversion programs and their respective conditions and terms.
In its press release, DHS stated former President Joe Biden’s administration allowed Chávez to reenter the country in January and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry in California.
Chávez Jr. says ICE immigration raids ‘scared me’
Chávez trained in Los Angeles before the fight against Paul and addressed the immigration raids that triggered protests in the city’s downtown.
‘It even scared me, to tell you the truth, it is very ugly,” he told the Los Angeles Times for a story published June 23. “I don’t understand the situation, why so much violence. There are many good people and you are setting an example of violence to the community.”
He also addressed federal agents wearing masks and not identifying themselves while targeting workers who appeared to be immigrants, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Seeing children left alone because their parents are grabbed,’’ Chávez said. “… That is common sense, we are people and we are going to feel bad when we see that situation.’’
Who won Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.?
Paul beat Chávez by unanimous decision Saturday night, and to call Chávez early rounds a slow start would be a gross understatement.
In the first round, he threw only four punches and landed zero. Chávez landed a total of nine punches over the first five rounds. He finally came alive in the final two rounds of the fight, but Paul won the fight decisively on the judges’ scorecards.
“He’s a tough, tough guy,’’ Paul said after the fight. “He’s never been stopped. And he’s a Mexican warrior. “I respect Mexican warriors. I respect Mexico. But I’m also a warrior and I came out on top tonight.’’
Chávez, who held the WBC middleweight world title in 2011 and 2012, has lost four of his past seven fights.