Julio César Chávez Jr. Faces Trial in Mexico Over Alleged Cartel Links

The son of a boxing legend is stepping into a far different kind of ring. Julio César Chávez Jr., the 39-year-old former world champion and son of Mexican icon Julio César Chávez, has been ordered to stand trial in Mexico on charges of arms trafficking and alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

A judge in Hermosillo ruled on Saturday that Chávez Jr. could await trial outside of detention but imposed additional restrictions while prosecutors pursue three more months of investigation. His lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Álvarez, dismissed the allegations as nothing more than “speculation” and “urban legends.”

If convicted, the troubled fighter could face four to eight years behind bars.

From U.S. Arrest to Mexican Courtroom

Chávez Jr.’s legal woes escalated in July, when U.S. federal agents arrested him outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and misrepresenting information on a green card application — just days after he fought internet star Jake Paul in Los Angeles.

Mexican prosecutors have had their eye on him since 2019, when U.S. authorities filed a sweeping complaint against the Sinaloa Cartel, implicating several figures in organized crime, drug trafficking, and weapons smuggling. Among those named was Ovidio Guzmán López, son of the infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who was later extradited to the U.S. in 2023.

The Federal Attorney General’s Office eventually issued multiple arrest warrants, including one for Chávez Jr.

Deported Into Mexico’s Hands

According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Chávez had been wanted in Mexico since 2023 but managed to avoid capture while living in the U.S. That changed on August 19, when he was deported and handed over to Mexican authorities, who transferred him to a federal prison in Hermosillo.

“The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico,” Sheinbaum said earlier this summer.

A Career Marred by Struggles

Chávez Jr. has long lived in the shadow of his father’s greatness, with a career riddled by controversy, erratic performances, and well-documented battles with addiction.

He was convicted of DUI in Los Angeles in 2012, arrested again last year for weapons possession after police found two rifles in his home, and has been in and out of treatment facilities.

Despite flashes of talent in the ring, the headlines around Chávez Jr. increasingly focus less on boxing and more on brushes with the law.

A High-Profile Test Case

His trial comes at a politically charged moment. The Trump administration has been pressuring Mexico to crack down harder on organized crime while also targeting celebrities with alleged cartel ties through visa cancellations and deportations.

Now, one of Mexico’s most famous boxing sons could find himself fighting the toughest battle of his life — not in the ring, but in court.