Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was detained by U.S. Marshals Service in Los Angeles, California, and it was confirmed that he will be deported to Mexico through the San Ysidro border crossing.
According to information from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the former boxing champion faces allegations of alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel, and is said to have an active arrest warrant in Mexico for offenses related to trafficking in firearms, ammunition and explosives.
The arrest has reignited interest in his connections to members of organized crime, particularly the family of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is not only married to Frida Muñoz, the ex-partner of Edgar Guzman Lopez, the drug lord’s son, but has also made public statements expressing admiration and closeness with another of his sons: Ovidio Guzman.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s controversial statements about Ovidio Guzman resurface after his arrest in the United States
In 2022, during a live broadcast on social networks, Chavez Jr. spoke openly about Ovidio Guzman, aka “El Raton”, assuring that he had known him for a long time and that he maintained a good relationship with him. “He is my daughter’s uncle… I know him well. And he is a good person with me, he is a great person,” said the boxer, downplaying the accusations that at that time already weighed on Guzman Lopez.
The son of the legendary Mexican champion also pointed out that he did not like to get involved in delicate issues, but that he had respect for Ovidio for his personal treatment. “I don’t know what they say, I really don’t like to get involved… my respect, not for something bad, but because with me he has been good,” he added. Today, those words resurface as an uncomfortable reflection of a closeness that could have legal consequences.
The fall of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.: Legal scandals, addictions and a failed return to boxing after his fight with Jake Paul
Chavez Jr.’s most recent appearance in the ring was on June 28 against Jake Paul, a fight he lost by unanimous decision. Despite the poor performance, he took home a purse of $750,000, a figure higher than that of Paul himself. However, beyond the sporting aspect, his behavior was widely criticized for his lack of preparation, reflecting a career that for years seems to be in free fall.
Over the past few years, Chavez Jr. has been involved in various legal and personal problems, including an arrest in 2024 for illegal possession of weapons in the United States. Although he was released on bail and sent to rehab, his history of addictions and scandals has undermined his credibility as a sportsman and public figure.
The Chavez surname carries a lot of weight, but the sporting legacy has not been enough to sustain the image of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, whose career has been more notorious for his mistakes outside the ring than for his achievements in it. His closeness to figures linked to organized crime, his past statements and his recent arrest now place him at the center of a controversy that goes beyond sport.
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