Federal authorities confirmed the existence of an arrest warrant against Julio César Chávez Jr. since March 2023 for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the Mexican boxer for being in the United States illegally.
DHS said in a press release that it is processing Chavez Jr.'s"expedited removal" to be handed over to Mexican authorities because "he has an outstanding arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, and explosives."
U.S. authorities indicated that the boxer is linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and has"an active criminal arrest warrant."
Meanwhile in Mexico, officials from the Security Cabinet reported the existence of an arrest warrant obtained by the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO) for being related to the Sinaloa Cartel through the Los Chapitos faction, led by brothers Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Joaquín Guzmán López, sons of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán.
The Attorney General's Office indicated that the warrant against Chávez Jr. is for organized crime and arms trafficking, and that U.S. authorities have already officially notified him of the boxer's arrest and have initiated the corresponding procedure for his extradition to Mexico.
Likewise, the DHS mentioned in a press release that “despite Chávez being identified as a threat to public safety, the Biden administration indicated in internal records that he was not a priority for immigration enforcement.”
It was announced that Chávez Jr. entered the United States legally in August 2023 with a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.
The U.S. agency stated:"Chávez is believed to be a member of the Sinaloa Cartel, a designated foreign terrorist organization. ICE arrested him in Studio City, California, on July 2."
According to DHS records, “On April 2, 2024, Chavez applied for lawful permanent residence. His application was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who was linked to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the cartel’s infamous leader, Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán.”
In this regard, it should be mentioned that Julio César Chávez Jr. has been married to Frida Muñoz Román since 2016, and they have two daughters.
Before her marriage to Chávez JR, Frida Muñoz Román was the wife of Édgar Guzmán López, son of El Chapo Guzmán, who was murdered on May 8, 2008 in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
After the death of Édgar Guzmán, Frida Muñoz moved to the United States where she obtained residency, although she was subject to investigation by the authorities of that country for her ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
In this context, US authorities indicated that “on December 17, 2024, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) referred a complaint to ICE, considering that Chávez represented a serious threat to public safety. However, an entry in the DHS law enforcement system, under the Biden administration, indicated that Chávez was not a priority for immigration enforcement.
On January 4, 2025, the Biden administration allowed Chávez to re-enter the country and granted him parole at the San Ysidro port of entry.
"After making multiple fraudulent statements in his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident, it was determined that he was in the country illegally and could be deported on June 27, 2025," the statement said.
It should be mentioned that on June 28, Julio César Chávez Jr. fought a boxing match in Anaheim, California, where in a fight scheduled for 10 rounds at cruiserweight against the American Jake Paul, the Sinaloan lost by unanimous decision of the judges (99-91, 97-93 and 98-92).
