Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the Mexican boxer who only days ago lost by decision to Jake Paul, was arrested by U.S. immigration officers, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a release on Thursday afternoon.
Chavez, 39, is being processed for expedited deportation, the DHS said. The institution claims that Chavez, the former WBC middleweight champion, has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for involvement in "organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives." DHS also claims that Chavez —the son of famed Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.—is believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, a drug-trafficking syndicate Donald Trump designated a foreign terrorist organization on his first day in office.
Here's what you need to know.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. ICE arrest details
According to the DHS, Chavez was arrested in Studio City, California on Wednesday. He stayed in the United States following his defeat to Paul on Saturday.
On July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 3, 2025
He is now being processed for expedited removal from the United States. This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and… pic.twitter.com/c4QeRVpCEr
In April 2024, Chavez filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status, according to DHS. His application was summarily denied, with DHS declaring Chavez to be removable on June 27. Chavez's fight with Paul took place on June 28.
Chavez first entered the US legally on a six-month tourist visa in August 2023. He cited marriage to a U.S. citizen as the reason for his filing for permanent residency, DHS said. The federal agency claimed that Chavez's spouse is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel, with officials alleging she was in a relationship with one of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's sons. She has not been charged with any crime.
In the United States, Chavez was convicted of a DUI in California in 2012 and illegal possession of an assault weapon in Jan. 2024.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. cartel allegations
DHS alleged that it's believed Chavez is an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, which it accuses of "kidnapping, torturing and killing many Americans" and "playing a major role" in trafficking fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Internal DHS documents reportedly showed that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services referred Chavez to ICE declaring him to be a public safety threat. That request wasn't deemed a priority under the Biden administration, DHS claims.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition and explosives was arrested by Ice,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “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.”
Chavez's lawyer, Michael Goldstein, denied DHS' claims.
"The current allegations are outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community," Goldstein said.
Where is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. from?
Chavez hails from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacan Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. With a population of 850,000, Culiacan is the 17th-largest city in Mexico.
What is ICE?
ICE refers to the United States' Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The department is best known for detaining immigrants, both undocumented and documented. It was first established in 2003 under the pretense of protecting national security and public safety. Its creation came in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and summary invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The agency has grown in scope in the years since its creation — both Democratic and Republican administrations have embraced ICE for its role in deporting immigrants from U.S. shores.
Immigration enforcement has been a major priority since President Donald Trump returned to office. Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" will allocate more than $100 billion to ICE and border enforcement through September 2029, making ICE the largest federal law enforcement agency, according to the Brennan Center.
Who is Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's wife?
Chavez is married to Frida Munoz, a U.S. citizen who federal officials claim is "connected to the Sinaloa cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.”
Munoz, 37, previously dated Edgar Guzman Loera, El Chapo's eldest son. Loera, who Munoz had a daughter with, was killed in Sinaloa in 2008. Munoz distanced herself from the Guzman family following Lore's death, according to the Los Angeles Times. She moved to the U.S. with her daughter and started a relationship with Chavez.
Jake Paul reacts to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s arrest
Paul responded to Chavez's arrest on Thursday, posting an emoji of the American flag on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
🇺🇸
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 3, 2025
Paul famously endorsed President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign and appeared at Trump's inauguration back in January.