Former Boxing Champion Julio César Chávez Jr. Faces Deportation, Prison Time for Drug Cartel Ties

Following a bout with Jake Paul in California, Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. got kicked out of the U.S. and ended up in a Sonora maximum-security prison. Mexican officials want to know about his suspected connections to the Sinaloa Cartel and gun trafficking.

Immigration agents picked up the 39-year-old boxer over visa problems. They caught him lying on his green card paperwork, and his B2 tourist visa expired in February 2024.

"We are currently working on a few issues," said manager Sean Gibbons to The Los Angeles Times.

The trouble began with a 2019 Mexican investigation. A judge ordered his arrest, saying he helped crime groups and moved illegal weapons. If convicted, he could face 40 years in prison, according to Mexico's Federal Attorney General's Office.

While checking his green card application, Homeland Security found red flags. His wife's previous links to cartel members raised concerns, flagging him as a public safety risk.

But immigration isn't his only worry. LA police busted him with illegal assault weapons in 2024. He paid $50,000 bail and headed straight to drug rehab.

His legal troubles stretch back years. A 2012 DUI in California got him 13 days in jail and three years probation. When he skipped a drug test after a fight in 2019, boxing officials suspended him.

His boxing career went downhill fast. After grabbing the WBC title in 2011 and defending it three times, he lost big matches against stars like Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez. His last shot at glory fell apart when he quit during his fight with Daniel Jacobs in 2019.

The cartel connection goes back to his father, boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., who hung around drug lords. The elder Chávez openly admitted his friendship with notorious kingpin Amado Carrillo Fuentes.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum isn't backing down on his deportation - he needs to face the music back home. This case shows how drug cartels keep trying to get their hooks into professional athletes.