STUDIO CITY—On July 3, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Julio César Chávez Jr. on July 2. According to a DHS press release, Chavez, a Mexican National, had an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for his involvement in trafficking, ammunition, firearms, and explosives and has a known connection to organized crime.
In an interview with the El Heraldo Newspaper, renowned boxer, Julio César Chávez Sr., defended his son, and asked why he was allowed in the ring for his June 27 fight he lost against Jake Paul in Anaheim, California.
“Why did they let him fight? My son has been paying taxes in the United States for three years, and now in Mexico, they’re accusing him of money laundering. Yes, he knows those people, but that doesn’t mean he’s a drug trafficker. Let’s trust the law.”
The younger Chavez did enter the U.S. legally on a B2 Tourist Visa in August of 2023. That Visa expired in February 2024.
According to ICE, Chavez applied for permanent residency status on April 2, 2024. It was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen who had connections to the Sinaloa Cartel from a prior relationship with the son of now deceased Cartel leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
On December 17, 2024, ICE notified DHS authorities under the Biden Administration of the presence of Chavez, referring to him as a “Safety Threat.” The Biden Administration Disregarded ICE’s warning indicating that Chavez wasn’t a priority. The Biden Administration permitted Chavez to reenter the country.
On June 27, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal agents determined that due to fraudulent statement on his application for citizenship, Chavez was in the country illegally, and removable.
The following information came directly from the July 3, DHS press release:
Rap Sheet of Julio César Chávez Jr:
“On January 22, 2012, California Highway Patrol arrested Chavez and charged him with DUI alcohol/drugs and Driving Without a License. On June 23, 2012, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, convicted Chavez for the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced him to 13 days in jail and 36 months’ probation.
On January 14, 2023, a District Judge issued an arrest warrant for Chavez, for the offense of organized crime for the purpose of committing crimes of weapons trafficking and manufacturing crimes, in the modality of those who participate in clandestinely bringing weapons, ammunition, cartridges, explosives into the country; and those who manufacture weapons, ammunition, cartridges, and explosives without the corresponding permit.
On January 7, 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Chavez and charged him with Illegal Possession of Any Assault Weapon and Manufacture or Import Short Barreled Rifle. The court convicted Chavez of these charges.”
By Sharon