Mexican authorities confirmed that boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will face trial for alleged ties to organized crime and arms trafficking. However, the court ruled he may await proceedings outside of detention, according to his lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez.
Benítez Alvarez argued that the accusations were “urban legends” without solid proof. The court also granted prosecutors three additional months to deepen the investigation.
Potential Jail Term if Convicted
Chávez Jr., 39, attended the hearing virtually from a detention center. If convicted, he could face between four and eight years in prison. He was first arrested in July outside his Los Angeles home, accused of overstaying his visa and providing false details in a U.S. green card application. His arrest came shortly after his highly publicized fight against American boxer Jake Paul.
The charges trace back to a 2019 investigation tied to U.S. complaints against the Sinaloa cartel. The case involved 13 suspects, including Ovidio Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Guzmán López was later extradited to the U.S. in 2023. Mexican prosecutors subsequently issued arrest warrants, with Chávez Jr. among those named.
President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the boxer had been wanted since 2023 but avoided arrest by residing mainly in the U.S. “The expectation is that he will serve any sentence in Mexico,” she added.
Deportation and High-Profile Case
Earlier this week, U.S. authorities deported Chávez Jr. and transferred him to Mexico’s Federal Social Reintegration Center in Hermosillo, Sonora. His deportation coincides with the Trump administration’s pressure on Mexico to intensify its crackdown on organized crime and high-profile figures.
The son of boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., Chávez Jr. has long struggled with drug addiction and repeated arrests. In 2012, a Los Angeles court sentenced him to 13 days in jail for driving under the influence.
