Julio César Chávez Jr. to Stand Trial in Mexico Over Alleged Ties

A judge in Mexico has ordered boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to stand trial over alleged cartel ties and arms trafficking, but the boxer may be allowed to await the trial outside of detention.

Chávez's lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez, described the claims against his client as “speculation” and “urban legends" following the court hearing on Saturday in Hermosillo.

If convicted, Chávez could face a prison sentence of between four and eight years, Alvarez said.

Chávez was arrested in early July by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and providing inaccurate details on an application to obtain a green card. The arrest came just days after a fight he had with famed American boxer Jake Paul in Los Angeles.

Since 2019, Mexican prosecutors have been investigating Chávez following a complaint filed by U.S. authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking and drug trafficking.

"The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico," Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said in July.

Chávez was deported by the U.S. on Aug. 19 and handed over to agents of the Federal Attorney General’s Office in Sonora state, who transferred him to the Federal Social Reintegration Center in Hermosillo.

Chávez has struggled with drug addiction throughout his career and has been arrested multiple times. In 2012, he was found guilty of driving under the influence in Los Angeles and was sentenced to 13 days in jail.

"The hope is that he will be deported and serve the sentence in Mexico." - Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's President