Los Angeles (AP) U.S. federal officials announced Thursday that renowned Mexican boxer Julio C. Sar Ch in Jr. will be deported to Mexico, where he is accused of organized crime, after being arrested for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application.
Days had passed since the former middleweight champion’s defeat at the hands of influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, California, when he was arrested. On June 27, one day before to the altercation, officials decided Chvez should be taken into custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Why they waited to take action for days following the well-publicized incident was unknown.
The boxer was riding a scooter when agents detained him
According to his lawyer Michael Goldstein, the 39-year-old boxer was hauled up by numerous federal agents Wednesday while he was riding a scooter in front of a house in the affluent Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, which is close to Hollywood.
According to Goldstein, the latest accusations are ludicrous and just another headline designed to scare the public.
The increase in immigration arrests has caused anxiety among many Southern Californians, leading to demonstrations and the federal deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guard forces to downtown Los Angeles.
Goldstein stated that he and his client were scheduled to appear in court on Monday on previous gun possession charges, but he was unsure of Chvez’s current location as of Thursday morning.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Chavez’s family released a statement on Thursday afternoon expressing their support for him.
According to the statement, “we have complete confidence in his innocence.” We are adamant that the right thing to do is to let the appropriate authorities do their jobs without outside interference or conjecture.
Before his recent bout, Chavez fought once since 2021
After suffering countless setbacks during a long boxing career spent under the tutelage of his father, Julio C. Sar Ch vez, one of the most adored athletes in Mexican history and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame who won titles in multiple weight classes, Ch vez had only engaged in combat once since 2021 prior to his Saturday fight with Paul.
For a large portion of his career, the son has struggled with drug addiction and has been arrested on multiple occasions. He was found guilty of drunk driving in Los Angeles in 2012 and given a 13-day jail sentence. He was arrested on gun-related accusations in January 2024. He had two AR-style ghost rifles, according to the police. Later, he was released on a $50,000 bail, provided that he attended a residential drug treatment center. The lawsuit is still ongoing, and Chvez frequently updates his progress.
He divided his time between the two nations. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Chvez was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities for exceeding the duration of a tourist visa that he used to enter the country in August 2023 and that expired in February 2024.
According to the bureau, Chvez made several false claims when he applied for permanent residence on April 2, 2024, claiming to be married to Frida Mu oz, a U.S. citizen. The imprisoned Sinaloa cartel kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman has a grandchild that she is the mother of.
He is thought to be a member of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is largely responsible for Mexico’s drug-related bloodshed, according to U.S. officials.
Federal officials called Chavez a public safety threat
On December 17, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reported Chvez to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stating that he poses a serious risk to public safety. However, the Biden administration permitted him to return to the nation without a visa on January 4, according to the agency.
According to the Mexican Attorney General’s Office, extradition procedures were started by Mexico on Thursday after an arrest warrant was issued against Julio C. in March 2023 as part of an investigation into claims of organized crime and arms trafficking.
According to a federal agent who spoke to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to discuss the situation in public, Julio C. is Chvez. Despite traveling back and forth between Mexico and the United States on several occasions, the agent refused to provide an explanation for why Chavez was not detained earlier in Mexico.
In Mexico, mixed feelings followed the arrest
The news of a well-known athlete being arrested by U.S. agents caused conflict in Mexico.
Sandoval and Mart Mexico City newspaper vendor Pe Aloza stated that he thinks President Donald Trump intended to set an example for him.
In this instance, I believe that Trump and the U.S. government are up to something,” he added, adding that it was to garner media attention.
A storekeeper in Mexico City named Oscar Tienda stated that he wasn’t shocked by the boxer’s problems.
He stated, “I believe it was predictable because he has used drugs all his life.”
Ch vez reached the pinnacles of the sport while receiving a lot of flak for his sporadic devotion to it. He earned and successfully defended the WBC middleweight belt in 2011. Chvez faced generational heavyweights Sergio Martinez and Canelo Ivarez in the ring, but he lost to both.
Chvez asserted that he was clean for the fight with Paul. Preparing for the match, he appeared to be in the greatest physical condition he had been in years.
Before his battle with Paul, Chvez told the Los Angeles Times that the immigration arrests had rattled him and his trainers.
Chvez stated, “There are many good people, and you’re setting an example of violence for the community.” I wouldn’t want to be deported after everything that has transpired.
This article was reported by Carlos Rodriguez, Fabiola Sanchez, and Martín Silva of the Associated Press in Mexico City. From San Diego, Watson reported.
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