Chávez Jr. Free: Boxer Released from Prison in Mexico, But with Restrictions

Julio César Chávez Jr. Released from Prison in Mexico

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was released this Sunday from a prison in northern Mexico, where he had been held since August, after being deported from the United States. The son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez is awaiting trial on charges related to his alleged involvement in cartel activities and the illegal trafficking of weapons to Mexico. Chávez’s release came after a judge in Hermosillo, a city in northern Mexico, determined that it was not necessary to keep him in custody while awaiting trial. However, he was prohibited from leaving the country, according to a federal agent who spoke to Alofoke Deportes, under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The judge also set a three-month deadline for further investigation of the case.

The accusations against my client are speculations and urban legends.

Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez, Chávez’s lawyer

Chávez was detained in the United States in July after a high-profile fight against American Jake Paul in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities had an arrest warrant against him since 2023, but the president of Mexico indicated that they had not arrested him before because he was mainly in the United States. The case against Chávez is part of a broader investigation that the Mexican prosecutor’s office initiated in 2019 against the Sinaloa Cartel for crimes of organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking, following a complaint filed by the United States.