CULIACÁN, Mexico (AP) — Inside a sports arena in Sinaloa’s capital, teenage boxers traded punches in protective headgear as a sparse crowd looked on. Outside the venue, a bronze statue of Julio César Chávez stood proudly, a tribute to the boxing legend known across Mexico simply as “The Legend.”
Friday’s boxing event had been organized by one of Chávez’s brothers and promised an appearance by Chávez himself. But the celebrated champion did not show. It’s been a turbulent week for his family.
Julio César Chávez Jr., the eldest son of the Mexican boxing icon, was arrested outside his Los Angeles home by U.S. immigration agents on Wednesday. Authorities accuse him of overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application.
Yet the bigger shock in Culiacán came from revelations that Chávez Jr. is wanted in Mexico on an active warrant for alleged arms and drug trafficking, and suspected links to the Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. officials said he faces expedited removal proceedings.
The Chávez name carries tremendous weight in Culiacán, much like Maradona’s in Argentina. Mention “The Legend,” and conversations begin. But talk quickly dies when the subject shifts to his son’s alleged ties to organized crime.
In Culiacán, people once spoke openly—even if cautiously—about the cartel whose name matches the state. But after fierce infighting erupted last year among Sinaloa Cartel factions following the U.S. abduction of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, silence has become the safer choice.
At Friday’s fights, the arrest was on many minds but discussed only in hushed tones.
Óscar Arrieta, a sports reporter in Culiacán, said Chávez Jr.’s arrest rattled the city, especially given how strongly U.S. officials connected him to organized crime. He questioned why, if Mexico issued a warrant in 2023, no attempt had been made to arrest such a public figure, who has been active on social media and preparing for a fight in California.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that Chávez Jr. had largely been in the U.S. since the warrant was issued.
“I think it was also a way for the United States to expose the Mexican government,” Arrieta said. “It’s impactful because sports normally don’t mix with organized crime.”
Meanwhile, Culiacán’s boxing gyms were quieter than usual following news of the arrest. At a gym beneath partially covered outdoor spaces, young fighters wrapped their wrists and shadowboxed in preparation for Friday’s bouts.
Jorge Romero, a former pro boxer who trained under another Chávez brother, said he knows Chávez Jr. personally and describes him as “an excellent person, a great human being” who had been dedicated to his training. He offered his full support.
Asked about the alleged cartel connections, Romero said the subject was “too delicate” to discuss. He insisted boxing and organized crime remain separate worlds in Culiacán.
“We don’t have anything to do with organized crime,” Romero said. “On the contrary, it’s a clean sport, very healthy from my point of view.”
