Today Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has been deported from the US. He is currently incarcerated at a high-security prison in northwest Mexico’s Sonora state. The transfer came just before noon on Monday, just days after he was detained by U.S. immigration authorities. Chavez Jr. sported a black hoodie and red sneakers on his way through deportation. He has made himself a target for serious legal challenges in Mexico, such as an arrest warrant for arms trafficking and organized crime.
This latest deportation has followed an arrest warrant being issued for Chavez Jr in Mexico. Mexican prosecutors allege—as did in their first case against him—that he was a henchman for the infamous Sinaloa Cartel. In fact, the State Department officially designated the cartel as a “foreign terrorist organization” earlier this year. Yet, these allegations are not just serious, they are on the surface patently absurd. These show a worrisome relationship between Chavez Jr and one of the world’s most influential and dangerous drug trafficking syndicates.
Chavez Jr is no stranger to controversy. Yet his boxing career has been marred by a series of events that have overpowered his sporting accomplishments. In 2009, for example, he tested positive for a banned substance after winning the Tour of Turkey, resulting in a suspension from the sport. To add insult to injury, in 2013 he came under further examination as a positive for cannabis saw him receiving multiple fines and another suspension.
Despite these challenges, Chavez Jr’s boxing career includes notable achievements, such as winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight championship in 2011. He relinquished that title in 2012 and his subsequent outings have come under fire. Until this past weekend, when he lost a lopsided match to social media influencer Jake Paul. Immediately after the game, U.S. authorities arrested him.
Chavez Jr’s legal issues have worsened drastically, leading to his recent deportation. His arrest took place at a checkpoint in Nogales, a border city in Mexico, at approximately 11:53 AM local time. The boxer’s impending departure from the U.S. is the latest and perhaps biggest development in his tumultuous life and career.
