Julio César Chávez Jr. is being prosecuted for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. has not been spared from Mexican justice: he is facing charges of organized crime and arms trafficking.

After being deported from the United States, Julio César Chávez Jr. was handed over to Mexican authorities. His defense team requested a double deadline, which was granted with a hearing scheduled for August 23 at 5:00 PM (Sonora time) .

Julio César Chávez's son was in pretrial detention , accused of having ties to the Sinaloa Cartel . He is being held at the Federal Social Readaptation Center (CEFERESO) 11 in Hermosillo, Sonora, the same location where the virtual hearing was held.

Last Tuesday, Julio César Chávez Jr. filed an amparo lawsuit against his imprisonment, but none of this worked because today, Saturday, he was charged.

Minutes before 5 p.m. (Central Mexico time), it was reported that the boxer would not be transferred to the Hermosillo Criminal Justice Center, where this second hearing was originally scheduled to take place.

Instead, at the request of his lawyers, Julio César Chávez Jr.'s court appearance will be held virtually at the CEFERESO 11 prison, where he has been held since being deported from the U.S. It began around 6 p.m. Central Time.

After nearly an hour of Chávez Carrasco's defense presenting its arguments, it is now the turn of the Prosecutor's Office, which is seeking to prosecute him for crimes such as organized crime.

At the beginning of the hearing, Julio César Chávez's lawyers presented their arguments to prevent the celebrity from being brought to trial.

It is not yet known what these arguments were, but according to reports, they lasted about an hour.

Julio Cesar Chavez's son was arrested in the United States by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and taken to Hidalgo, Texas, in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) .

Chávez Jr. was arrested on July 2, 2025, outside his residence in Studio City, California, just four days after his loss to Jake Paul . ICE agents shackled him, but he offered no resistance, as shown in a video revealed by journalist Matt Seedorff.

Julio César Chávez Chávez Jr. was detained for his irregular immigration status and, authorities said, for expedited deportation to Mexico , where he has had an arrest warrant issued by the Attorney General's Office (FGR) since 2023.

The reason: His tourist visa expired in February 2024. Furthermore, DHS considers him a “serious threat to public safety” due to Chávez Jr.’s alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel , according to statements by Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

According to information from the Attorney General's Office revealed after his arrest in the US, there was an active arrest warrant in Mexico against Chávez Jr. for the crimes of organized crime and arms trafficking .

According to Gertz Manero, the case stems from an investigation that began in 2019, when authorities identified a criminal group led by Ovidio 'El Ratón' Guzmán and Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas 'El Nini' , in which Chávez Jr. was named as an accomplice, specifically, he is mentioned as an alleged score-settler.

Furthermore, his marriage to Frida Muñoz , widow of Édgar Guzmán López (son of 'El Chapo' Guzmán) , and his own statements on social media about his closeness to Ovidio Guzmán 'El Ratón', reinforce suspicions about his family and social ties to the cartel.

On August 18, he was finally handed over to Mexico , where he has been processed since his arrival. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson , showed off a photograph of Chávez Jr.'s handover and praised the cooperation of both countries in the case.

“This action reflects the strong cooperation between our governments, demonstrating that collaboration delivers results and strengthens the security of both nations,” Johnson wrote on his X account.

The former Mexican boxer 's history of legal troubles is not recent. His background includes:

• January 2012 : Convicted in California of drunk driving and driving without a license. He served 13 days in jail and 36 months of probation.
• January 2023 : Arrest warrants issued in Mexico for alleged organized crime and arms trafficking.
• January 2024 : Arrested in California for assault weapons possession and illegal rifle manufacturing. Reached a plea deal through mental health diversion.
• July 2025 : Immigration detention for overstaying his legal stay in the United States; he was deported to Mexico, where he was immediately detained.

His father, Julio César Chávez, came to Jr.'s defense , asserting that, despite his addictions and mistakes, "he is not a criminal." "He's from Culiacán, we know everyone, the good and the bad," he explained.

Omar Chávez, brother of Julio César Jr. , asked Mexican authorities to respect his presumption of innocence and asserted that even if “all of Culiacán were in jail, he would be the least guilty.”

Julio César Chávez Jr.'s uncle and former coach, Rodolfo , confirmed this version, assuring that, in the city where they are from, it is difficult not to know about the businesses of others, but that does not link them with illicit activities.