FORMER world boxing champion Julio César Chávez Jr. was deported from the United States to Mexico on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (PH time), where he was immediately taken into custody to face organized crime and arms trafficking charges, Mexican officials confirmed.
Chávez Jr., 39, was handed over to Mexican authorities at the Nogales border crossing after spending more than six weeks in United States immigration custody.
He was quickly transported under heavy security to a federal detention center in Hermosillo, Sonora, where he awaits a preliminary hearing before a judge later this week.
Mexican prosecutors allege the former WBC middleweight champion has links to the Sinaloa Cartel and is implicated in the trafficking of firearms across state lines.
An arrest warrant for Chávez Jr. has been active since 2023, part of a multi-year investigation into cartel-linked arms smuggling operations.
The Attorney General’s Office said Chávez Jr. would face charges of organized crime and illegal weapons trafficking, serious offenses that could carry lengthy prison terms if he is convicted. Authorities have not disclosed whether additional charges could follow.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed his deportation during her morning news conference, saying: “I understand he was deported. I don’t know if it was yesterday or this morning, but we were informed that he was arriving in Mexico.”
Chávez Jr. was arrested in California in early July, just days after his exhibition bout against social media star Jake Paul in Anaheim. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him on immigration violations and later placed him in deportation proceedings after Mexican authorities requested his return.
The boxer’s legal troubles in the United States included allegations of overstaying his visa and falsifying information on a residency application. Those issues, coupled with the active arrest warrant in Mexico, led to his removal after 46 days in US custody.
The son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., Chávez Jr. rose to prominence in the late 2000s and captured the WBC middleweight title in 2011.
But his career has been marked by inconsistency and controversy, including failed drug tests, suspensions, and repeated clashes with boxing regulators.
In 2024, Chávez Jr. was arrested in Los Angeles after police found an unregistered firearm in his possession. He was released on bail, but the case added to a growing list of legal and personal troubles. His return to Mexico now places him at the center of far more serious allegations.
Family members have so far remained quiet. Chávez Sr., one of Mexico’s most beloved athletes, has not spoken publicly since the deportation. Earlier this year, he dismissed suggestions that his son had ties to organized crime, insisting he was being unfairly targeted.
For now, Chávez Jr. remains in federal custody in Hermosillo. Mexican prosecutors said he will be presented before a judge later this week, where the charges will be formally read.
The case is expected to draw significant public attention, not only because of Chávez Jr.’s name, but also because it intersects two of Mexico’s most sensitive issues: organized crime and the nation’s sporting icons. / FROM THE WIRES