Julio César Chávez Jr. will face trial for alleged links to the cartel
A Mexican judge has ruled that boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will go to trial on charges related to organized crime. However, his defense has reported that he could await the process on probation. Chávez Jr.’s lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Álvarez, confirmed that the court has established additional measures and has granted three months of additional investigation in the case. These statements were made at the exit of a court hearing in Hermosillo, a city located in northern Mexico. Chávez Jr., who had been residing in the United States for several years, was arrested on July 2 by federal agents outside his home in Los Angeles. The arrest occurred for exceeding the duration of his visa and for allegedly lying on an application to obtain a permanent resident card (Green Card). This arrest occurred a few days after a fight he had with American boxer Jake Paul in Los Angeles. Since 2019, the Mexican prosecutor’s office has been investigating 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 being detained for almost a month and a half, Chávez Jr. was deported on August 19 and handed over to agents of the Attorney General’s Office in the state of Sonora. These agents transferred him to the Federal Social Readaptation Center in Hermosillo. The investigation derived from this case involves 13 people, including Ovidio Guzmán López, son of the drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, as well as some collaborators, hitmen, and accomplices of the criminal organization. Guzmán López was arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the United States eight months later.This high-profile case has generated attention at a time when the Mexican government is facing pressure to combat organized crime. The life of Julio César Chávez Jr., son of one of the most famous and successful boxers in Mexico, has been marked by scandals throughout his career. Chávez Jr. has had problems with drug addiction for much of his career and has been arrested on multiple occasions. In 2012, he was found guilty of driving under the influence of substances and was 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 center for addiction treatment.The hope is that he will be deported and serve his sentence in Mexico.
Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico
