Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr has been deported to Mexico, where he is wanted for alleged cartel ties, following his arrest in the US for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application.
The Mexican boxer was admitted to a prison outside of the city of Hermosillo, in the northern state of Sonora, an official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the matter.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the news at her daily press conference.
“I understand he was deported. I don’t know if it was yesterday or this morning, but we were informed that he was arriving in Mexico,” Ms Sheinbaum said.
Chávez, 39, had a warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged arms and drug trafficking and ties to the Sinaloa cartel. Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s attorney-general, said the investigation into Chávez started in 2019.
The boxer, who is the son of legendary Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez, was arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for overstaying a tourist visa on which he entered the US in August 2023 and which expired in February 2024, the Department of Homeland Security said in July.
The agency also said Chávez Jr submitted a number of fraudulent statements when he applied for permanent residency on April 2, 2024, based on his marriage to a US citizen, Frida Muñoz.
Ms Sheinbaum said after the arrest that she hoped the boxer would be deported to face his charges.
Chávez’s father, who was a major celebrity in the 1980s and 1990s, defended his son following his arrest. However, he has not spoken since his deportation.
The younger Chávez has battled drug addiction for much of his boxing career, failing drug tests, serving suspensions and egregiously missing weight while being widely criticised for his intermittent dedication to the sport.
Chávez won the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defended it three times. He shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.
In 2012, he was convicted of drunken driving in Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days in jail. In January 2024, he was arrested on gun charges.
Police said he possessed two AR-style ghost rifles. He was later freed on a $US50,000 ($77,400) bond on condition that he went to a residential drug treatment facility. The case is still pending, with Chávez reporting his progress regularly.
AP