New video from Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s arrest shows the confused boxer being shackled and placed into the back of a government vehicle by ICE agents just five days after his loss to Jake Paul.
The 39-year-old son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez was picked up while riding his scooter in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood of Studio City. He was then processed over what Department of Homeland Security officials claim are his connections to the Sinaloa Cartel – an organization his father was famously friendly with during his celebrated boxing career.
‘Do you have anything in your shoes,’ the agent is heard asking Chavez in Spanish.
‘No,’ Chavez replied, before asking: ‘Do you inform my lawyer when I have a warrant?’
The Department of Homeland Security said they are ‘processing him for expedited removal from the United States’ due to a warrant in Mexico. As for the timing of the arrest, DHS officials say Chavez Jr’s June 28 loss to Paul occurred one day after be became determined to stay in the country illegally.
Mexico has since confirmed that it issued an arrest warrant for Chavez Jr in 2023. Now, according to Mexican officials, their government and DHS officials have ‘started the corresponding procedure for his extradition to Mexico.’
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has reportedly been arrested by ICE agents over a warrant in Mexico
The Department of Homeland Security released this mug shot of Chavez Jr on Thursday
In its statement, DHS explained Chavez Jr’s warrant relates to ‘his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives’. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: ‘This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE.
‘It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country.
‘Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.’
The report makes note that, in August 2023, Chavez Jr. legally entered the US via a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.
‘The current allegations are outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community,’ Chavez Jr’s attorney Michael Goldstein told The Associated Press.
Speaking to the AP, Goldstein said he did not know where his client was being detained on Thursday morning. Goldstein says Chavez is due in court on Monday in connection with prior gun possession charges.
Internet-star-turned-boxer Paul pictured alongside Chavez Snr after the fight on Saturday
In April 2024, Chavez filed an application for a Lawful Permanent Resident status based upon his marriage to a US citizen, who was connected to infamous cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.
In December, immigration services flagged that Chavez was an ‘egregious public safety threat’.
One month later, in January this year, the previous administration led by Joe Biden allowed Chavez to re-enter the country and paroled him into the US.
Multiple ‘fraudulent statements’ on his Lawful Permanent Resident application meant that Chavez was legally able to removed from the country on June 27th – two days prior to his fight against Paul.
The Chavez family has also released a statement.
‘We have full confidence in his innocence,’ read a family statement. ‘We firmly believe that the proper course is to allow the competent authorities to carry out their work without external pressure or speculation.’
A statement from the DHS, regarding Chavez Jr’s arrest, claimed that: ‘Under President Trump, no one is above the law’
Chavez put in an underwhelming performance as he lost on decision to Paul on Saturday night
Chavez Jr was able to removed legally from the country on June 27th – two days prior to his fight against Paul
Chavez’s father – who was also a boxing star and a namesake to his son – has openly spoken about his own relationships with the Sinaloa Cartel and, in particular, ‘El Chapo’.
In a podcast with journalist Javier Alarcon in 2021, Chavez revealed: ‘Not just El Chapo, I’ve met all the most wanted drug traffickers, like Amado Carrillo, El Azul (Esparragoza), and El Mayo (Zambada).
‘I know them all, and they’ve all been my friends, but that’s about it. Those people, if you know them, are good people’.
He has fought more than 60 times as a professional but the 39-year-old barely laid a glove on Paul during their fight.
Paul, who was fighting for the first time since his controversial clash with Mike Tyson won by scores of 99-91, 97-93 and 98-92.
Chavez Jr. failed to land a single punch in the first round before showing flashes of life in the closing stages. But he was still powerless to prevent Paul from improving his professional record to 12-1 on Saturday night.
After victory was secured, Paul turned on the pro-Mexican crowd and turned his attention to tougher tests.
‘Y’all can shut the f*** up,’ he said. ‘I just beat your boys’ a**!’
Paul continued: ‘I was flawless… I thought I did great, going 10 rounds against a former world champion… I embarrassed him.’
Chavez Jr. captured the WBC middleweight title and improved to 46-0-1 with a TKO win over Ireland’s Andy Lee back in 2012.
The arrest comes just five days after the 39-year-old’s boxing fight against Jake Paul
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is congratulated by his legendary father after Chavez Jr. defeated Ruban Galvan in the Junior Welterweight fight on June 25, 2005 in Atlantic City
Chavez Snr (pictured) has previously spoken openly about his ‘friendship’ with El Chapo
And while that proved to be the peak of his career, Chavez has since fought and lost to highly rated pros like Sergio Martinez, Andrzej Fonfara, Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs.
However, prior to his bout with Paul, he’d fought only once in the last four years, beating converted kickboxer Uriah Hall by unanimous decision last July.
Prior to that, he dropped a 2021 split decision to UFC legend Anderson Silva, who actually lost a boxing match to Paul the following year.
Amid Donald Trump’s latest crackdown on anti-immigration in the US, ICE agents have been spotted a number of different sporting venues.
Last month, the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed on social media that they declined a request from ICE agents to access the parking lots of their stadium.
A number of ICE agents were spotted descending on Dodger Stadium just after 10am local time, before reports emerged claiming they were denied entry to the grounds of the ballpark.
And in a statement posted on X later in the day, the MLB franchise confirmed the immigration officials unsuccessfully attempted to access their parking lots.
‘This morning, ICE agents came to Dodger Stadium and requested permission to access the parking lots,’ the statement reads. ‘They were denied entry to the grounds by the organization.’
Furthermore, prior to the start of the Club World Cup, ICE raids sparked protests that brought Los Angeles to its knees after Trump ordered 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops to be sent to the area.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Julio Cesar Chavez’s representatives as well as Paul’s spokespeople at MVP Promotions for comment.
