Julio César Chávez Jr. Faces Trial for Alleged Ties to the Cartel
A Mexican judge has determined that Julio César Chávez Jr., a renowned boxer, will face trial for accusations related to alleged links to organized crime. His lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Álvarez, confirmed that the athlete could await the process outside of prison. The lawyer also reported on the granting of three additional months of investigation in the case, following a court hearing in Hermosillo, a city located in northern Mexico. Chávez Jr., who resided in the United States, was arrested on July 2 by federal agents. The arrest occurred for exceeding the duration of his visa and allegedly lying on an application to obtain a green card. This arrest occurred a few days after a fight with American boxer Jake Paul in Los Angeles. Since 2019, the Mexican prosecutor’s office has investigated the 39-year-old boxer, following a complaint filed by U.S. authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel, for crimes such as organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking, and drug trafficking. After almost a month and a half of detention, Chávez Jr. was deported on August 19 and handed over to agents of the Attorney General’s Office in the state of Sonora, who transferred him to the Federal Social Readaptation Center in Hermosillo. The investigation extended to 13 people, including Ovidio Guzmán López, son of drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, as well as collaborators, hitmen, and accomplices of the criminal organization. Guzmán López was arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the United States eight months later. The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, stated that Chávez Jr. had been wanted since 2023 in Mexico, but he was not arrested due to his stay in the United States.This case has generated great attention in a context of pressure from the United States to combat organized crime, which has led to the cancellation of visas for Mexican artists and celebrities, and to the increase in deportations. The life of the son of Julio César Chávez, one of the most famous and successful boxers in Mexico, has been marked by scandals throughout his career. Chávez Jr. has battled addiction to various drugs for much of his career and has been arrested on multiple occasions. In 2012, he was found guilty of driving under the influence in Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days in jail. In early 2024, he was arrested for weapons possession. Police reported that Chávez Jr. had two rifles. He was released shortly after posting a $50,000 bail, with the condition that he attend a treatment center for his addiction.The hope is that he will be deported and serve his sentence in Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico
