An aging Mexican boxer was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement just days after stepping into the ring with Jake Paul in a high-profile match in Anaheim, California.
Mexican boxer arrested in L.A.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., 39, was arrested by ICE agents on July 2 in Studio City, California, only four days after losing a bout against social media star Jake Paul at the Honda Center.
Authorities say the Mexican national has direct ties to the infamous Sinaloa Cartel and is now facing immediate removal from the United States.
Video footage from the arrest shows Chavez Jr. being stopped while riding a scooter through an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood.
Appearing disoriented, Chavez Jr. is heard asking, “Do you inform my lawyer when I have a warrant?” as federal agents place him into the back of a government vehicle.
On July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
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
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 3, 2025
One of the officers also asks in Spanish, “Do you have anything in your shoes?”
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Chavez Jr. is being processed for expedited removal and has an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico tied to serious criminal charges.
“On July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.,” the DHS wrote in a statement shared on X.
Mexican boxer slated for “expedited removal” from U.S.
“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 trafficking firearms, ammunitions and explosives.”
DHS added a pointed warning: “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.”
ICE arrested prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
DHS Statement: “Chavez is also believed to be an… pic.twitter.com/DeaPCYBQiI
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) July 3, 2025
Though Chavez Jr. legally entered the United States on a tourist visa back in February of last year, records show that he was identified as an “egregious public safety threat” that December.
Despite that designation, officials under the Biden administration reportedly allowed him to reenter the country on January 4, just prior to President Donald Trump retaking office.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, did not hold back about Chavez Jr.’s reentry into the country.
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE,” she said.
“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.”
DHS officials also outlined Chavez Jr.’s prior run-ins with the law. In 2012, he was convicted of driving under the influence, and more recently in 2024, he was found guilty of illegally possessing an assault weapon.
In addition to his record in the United States, Mexico has confirmed it issued a warrant for his arrest in 2023.
“The current allegations are outrageous and simply another headline to terrorize the community,” Chavez Jr.’s attorney Michael Goldstein stated.
Goldstein also said he was unaware of where his client was being held as of Thursday morning.
He stated that Chavez Jr. is due in court Monday for a previously scheduled appearance related to the gun possession case.
In response to the federal charges and impending deportation, the Chavez family released a statement supporting him.
“We have full confidence in his innocence,” the family declared. “We firmly believe that the proper course is to allow the competent authorities to carry out their work without external pressure or speculation.”
Illegal immigrant deported to El Salvador claims prison abuse
Meanwhile, across international borders, allegations have surfaced from Kilmar Abrego Garcia who claims he was brutalized after being deported to El Salvador.
According to court filings, Garcia said he suffered beatings, psychological trauma, and malnutrition while locked inside the Central American country’s most notorious prison.
Abrego Garcia stated that upon arrival at CECOT, El Salvador’s mega-prison known for its brutal conditions, he was assaulted immediately after disembarking the plane.
“He was repeatedly struck by officers when he attempted to raise his head,” the court documents revealed.
“Severe beatings, severe sleep deprivation, inadequate nutrition, and psychological torture” followed during his two-week imprisonment. He reportedly lost over 30 pounds.
According to the filings, Abrego Garcia and 20 other prisoners were forced to kneel from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. inside Cell 15, with guards hitting anyone who collapsed. In one incident, he was denied bathroom access and soiled himself.
The filings say prison staff at CECOT told him his tattoos were not gang-related, contradicting previous assertions by U.S. officials labeling him as a gang member.
“While at CECOT, prison officials repeatedly told Plaintiff Abrego Garcia that they would transfer him to the cells containing gang members who, they assured him, would ‘tear’ him apart,” the lawsuit states.
Before being moved to another facility, Abrego Garcia claims he was forced to participate in staged photographs showing improved prison conditions, complete with mattresses and food.
His attorneys accuse the Trump administration of knowingly deporting him to a location where torture was all but guaranteed.
“Defendants are aware that the government of El Salvador tortures individuals detained in CECOT,” they stated in legal filings.
“Indeed, U.S. President Donald Trump has made comments to the press expressing glee and delight at the torture that the Government of El Salvador inflicts upon detainees in CECOT.”
