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Famed Mexican boxer and criminal illegal immigrant Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, just four days after fighting Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the arrest on Thursday, noting Chavez was being processed for “expedited removal from the United States.”
Chavez was arrested in Los Angeles in January 2024 and later convicted of possession of an assault weapon, and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle, according to the statement. He had a prior U.S. criminal conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2012.
He also has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement with the Sinaloa Cartel—trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives, according to DHS officials.
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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. enters the right before fighting Jake Paul at Honda Center on June 28, 2025. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
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While Chavez entered the U.S. legally in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa, it expired in February 2024.
In April 2024, he filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status.
However, his application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, according to the statement.
In December 2024, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made a referral to ICE that Chavez was considered “an egregious public safety threat.”
“However, an entry in a DHS law enforcement system under the Biden administration indicated Chavez was not an immigration enforcement priority,” DHS wrote.
DHS said Chavez reentered the country in January through the San Ysidro port of entry. But, after “multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident,” he was deemed to be in the country illegally and removable on June 27.
Boxer Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center on June 28, 2025. ( Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
“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,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote in a statement. “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes.”
“Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences,” McLaughlin added. “The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fights against Jake Paul at Honda Center. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
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Chavez’s fight against Paul ended in defeat, with judges giving the Youtuber-turned-boxer a unanimous victory after 10 rounds.
Chavez was a former WBC middleweight champion and the son of the boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, who held five different world titles in four different weight classes. Paul’s win on Saturday resulted in him getting ranked for the first time, coming in at No. 14 in the WBA cruiserweight rankings.
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