Mexico Confirms Arrest Warrant for Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr.

Americas|Mexico Confirms Arrest Warrant for Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr.

Mexican officials confirmed on Thursday that they had issued an arrest warrant for the prominent boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. on charges of involvement in organized crime and arms trafficking, a day after he was detained by U.S. immigration authorities in California.

Mr. Chávez had been detained by federal U.S. agents in Studio City, Calif., the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday, citing the arrest warrant in Mexico and saying that Mr. Chávez was in the United States illegally.

A spokesman for Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said that the U.S. authorities had informed Mexican officials about the detention, and said “they have started the corresponding procedure for his extradition to Mexico.” The warrant for him was issued in March 2023, the spokesman said.

A lawyer representing Mr. Chávez, Michael A. Goldstein, told The New York Times his client was picked up by a group of 25 or more immigration and law enforcement agents outside of his home.

“The current allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorize the community,” Mr. Goldstein said, adding that Mr. Chávez was not a threat to the community and was in full compliance with his court obligations. “He has not been convicted of any gun charges and we fully expect his only pending case to be dismissed.”

A former World Boxing Council middleweight champion, Mr. Chávez, 39, was detained just days after he lost a high-profile boxing match in Anaheim, Calif., against the former YouTuber Jake Paul. He is also the son of a Mexican boxing legend, Julio César Chávez Sr., who appeared with Mexico’s president twice in recent months, at a news conference and a government event in Mexico City that drew tens of thousands of people.