Four days after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. lost a unanimous decision to Jake Paul on June 28th at the Honda Center, Anaheim, California, the 39-year-old landed himself in trouble. The former middleweight champion was arrested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on July 2, 2025, at his Los Angeles home in Studio City, California, for multiple reasons. 

According to reports, Chavez Jr.’s arrest, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on July 3, is a result of his overstaying his visa and lying on his green card application. He also seems to have an active arrest warrant in Mexico for alleged arms/dr*g trafficking, and suggested ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Since the arrest, ‘The Problem Child’ has shared a statement. 

“It’s unfortunate, you know,” Paul said in an interview with Fight Hub TV. “I don’t want anyone to be in that situation, but actions have consequences.” Interestingly, however, the DHS has determined that Chavez Jr. was arrestable on June 27th, but it’s unclear why they waited until after the mega event to act. Meanwhile, a lawyer for the boxer, Michael Goldstein, told NBC, “This is the first we’ve ever heard of these outrageous allegations.”

It’s worth noting that Chavez Jr. spoke to the LA Times during his public workout about the uptick in immigration raids in the city. Chavez Jr. claimed his own trainer was afraid to come to work, fearing deportation. Regardless, the former middleweight champion is currently being processed for “expedited removal” from the U.S. and is expected to be deported to Mexico. 

Chavez Jr. has a history of legal troubles in the United States. In 2012, the now 39-year-old was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). And in January 2024, he was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department for illegal possession of two AR-style ghost guns —munserialized firearms — and charged with manufacturing or importing a short-barreled rifle. 

He was released on a $50,000 bond under the condition that he enter a residential dr*g treatment facility. The case remains pending, though a court appearance for the same was scheduled for July 7th. Meanwhile, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. has decided to defend his son. 

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. asks why his son wasn’t arrested before the Jake Paul fight

Reacting to his son’s arrest and the allegations against him, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. has voiced his support while defending the 39-year-old. “It’s complicated; there’s a lot of talk, but we’re calm because we know my son’s innocence,” Chavez Sr. told the El Heraldo newspaper. “My son will be anything you want, anything, but he is not a criminal and less everything he’s being accused of.”

Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s Attorney General, claimed an investigation against Chavez Jr. had begun back in 2019 when the US filed a complaint against the Sinaloa Cartel for various crimes. “He knows a lot of people, we live in, it would be impossible not to know all of the people that are doing illicit stuff, but that does not mean nothing,” Chavez said. 

Addressing DHS’s claim that Chavez Jr. was arrestable on June 27th, Chavez Sr. asked, “Why did they let him fight? My son has been paying taxes in the United States for three years, and now in Mexico, they’re accusing him of money laundering,” Chavez Sr. said.

It appears Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has a rough road ahead—only time will tell what the future holds for the former champion. However, Paul seems to be sympathetic to Chavez Jr.’s cause. What are your thoughts on the entire situation?