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The Department of Homeland Security revealed that Chavez was detained by ICE in Los Angeles on Wednesday after authorities determined that he was in the country illegally.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (X)
Mexican pugilist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faces deportation from the United States of America after he was arrested by US immigration officers on Thursday.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed that Chavez, the son of legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, was detained by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Los Angeles on Wednesday after authorities determined that he was in the country illegally.
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Homeland Security reported that Chavez legally entered the United States in 2023 on a tourist visa valid until February 2024.
In April last year, he applied for permanent residency based on his marriage to a US citizen, who has connections to the Sinaloa cartel through a previous relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.
Homeland Security also noted that besides the active warrant in Mexico, Chavez has criminal convictions in the United States, including weapons charges in 2024 in Los Angeles.
According to the statement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services informed ICE that Chavez posed an “egregious public safety threat.”
Chavez’s lawyer, Michael A. Goldstein, stated that the boxer was detained outside of his residence by 25 or more ICE and other law enforcement agents.
“They blocked off his street and took him into custody, leaving his family without any knowledge of his whereabouts,” the advocate said.
“The current allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorize the community,” he added.
“Our family is deeply dismayed by the situation,” a statement from Chavez’s family said.
“In these difficult times, we reiterate our full and unconditional support for Julio,” it added.
“We fully trust in his innocence and his humanity, as well as in the justice institutions in both Mexico and the United States, in which we place our hope that this situation will be clarified according to the law and truth,” the statement continued.
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