Julio Cesar Chavez Jr got out of jail on Sunday. The former boxing champion faces serious charges of arms trafficking and involvement with a drug cartel, which the US government calls a terrorist group.
Chavez Jr spent time in a maximum security prison in Hermosillo, Sonora. He's now back home in Culiacan, Sinaloa with his family while the investigation continues.
His father, boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, spoke out about the situation:
"I am happy, this is a process, my son has to clarify all the doubts that the government has. I want to make it clear that my son is not a criminal, he does not belong to a cartel, he does not traffic weapons, he does not sell drugs, I ask the authorities to be fair. My son is in preventive freedom and from outside we are going to fight the case."
The elder Chavez has admitted to knowing drug traffickers in the past.
Chavez Jr's lawyer, Ruben Fernando Benitez, said he hasn't talked to his client in a while. He added that the boxer is resting and recovering from the trauma of the situation.
The trouble started on July 2, 2025. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrested Chavez Jr in Los Angeles after his fight with Jake Paul in Anaheim. His visa had expired and there were problems with his residency application. ICE also thought he might be a threat to national security because of possible links to the Sinaloa Cartel.
The legal issues go back even further. In January 2023, the Attorney General's Office put out an arrest warrant for Chavez Jr. They accused him of organized crime and arms trafficking based on an investigation that started in 2019.
On August 18, 2025, officials deported Chavez Jr to Mexico and put him in the maximum security prison in Hermosillo. Five days later, he had a virtual hearing from the prison. Judge Enrique Hernandez Miranda charged the boxer but let him out on bail. That's unusual for these kinds of serious crimes.
Chavez Jr still has his passport but can't leave Mexico without permission from a judge. He has to show up for all his hearings and check in with the authorities regularly.
His lawyers say they've shown 21 pieces of evidence. Nine of those mention Chavez Jr directly, but none prove he actively took part in any crimes.
The next big date is November 24, 2025. That's when a district judge will decide Chavez Jr's legal status.
