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Days after his loss to Jake Paul in Las Vegas, Chavez was dealt another blow — this time by the Trump administration.
The Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday, July 3, that the Mexican boxer was flagged as a public safety threat and is facing expedited deportation.
Officials say Chavez has been detained by ICE, calling him a "criminal illegal alien" who has an active warrant in Mexico for his alleged involvement in organized crime and weapons trafficking.
According to DHS, Chavez was arrested by ICE agents on July 2 in Studio City, California.
He is believed to be affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization, officials said, noting that "the Biden administration indicated in internal records he was not an immigration enforcement priority."
“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated.
“It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and come back into our country.”
Chavez first entered the US.legally in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa, which expired in February 2024, officials said.
On April 2, 2024, he applied for Lawful Permanent Resident status, based on his marriage to a US citizen who, according to DHS, is linked to the Sinaloa Cartel through a relationship with the late son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
In January, officials say that "the Biden administration allowed Chavez to reenter the country and paroled him into the country at the San Ysidro port of entry."
It is further alleged that Chavez made multiple false statements on his green card application, and he was determined to be subject to deportation on Friday, June 27, one day before his "megafight" with Paul.
DHS investigators cited several incidents in Chavez's past that qualify him for removal from the country:
- In 2012, Chavez was convicted of DUI in California and sentenced to 13 days in jail and 36 months’ probation in Los Angeles.
- In 2023, a Mexican district judge issued a warrant for organized crime and weapons trafficking, including the manufacture and import of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
- In 2024, Chavez was arrested in Los Angeles for illegal possession of assault weapons and manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle.
He was convicted of those charges.
“Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes,” McLaughlin added. “Our message to any cartel affiliates in the US is clear: We will find you, and you will face consequences.
"The days of unchecked violence are over."
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