Mexican boxer Chavez Jr. arrested by ICE, DHS says

Canelo Alvarez, right, of Mexico, gets hit by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been arrested by U.S. immigration officers and faces deportation, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Thursday.

Chavez Jr., 39, who lost a bout to influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul on Saturday, had an active arrest warrant against him in Mexico.

The DHS said the warrant was related to involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition and explosives.

The department added that Chavez Jr. made “multiple fraudulent statements on his application to become a Lawful Permanent Resident” and was determined to be in the U.S. illegally on June 27.

“Under President Trump, no one is above the law - including world-famous athletes," said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

Michael Goldstein, an attorney for Chavez Jr., said his client was detained outside his home by more than two dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and called the allegations “outrageous.”

“They blocked off his street and took him into custody, leaving his family without knowledge of his whereabouts,” Goldstein said in a statement.

“Mr. Chavez is a public figure and has been living out in the public and just fought Jake Paul in a televised boxing match before millions of viewers.”

The Mexican prosecutor’s office said in a statement that they had been contacted for the boxer’s removal.

His fight against Paul played to a sold-out crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where the 28-year-old American triumphed in a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.

The event’s joint promoters, MVP Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Chavez Jr. is the son of former three-division world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, an iconic figure in Mexican sports who is widely considered the greatest fighter the country ever produced.

Chavez Jr. won the WBC middleweight championship by defeating German Sebastian Zbik in 2011, but lost the title to Argentine Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez in 2012.

His career has been overshadowed by numerous controversies and suspensions.

In 2009, he tested positive for a banned substance furosemide, resulting in a seven-month suspension and a $10,000 fine.

Four years later, the Nevada Athletic Commission fined him $900,000 and imposed a nine-month suspension for failing a drug test.

His wife was previously married to Edgar Guzman Lopez, the son of former Sinaloa Cartel leader “El Chapo.” Edgar Guzman Lopez was assassinated in 2008.

Chavez Jr. currently has a record of 54 wins, six losses and one draw, with 34 knockouts.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien and Bhargav Acharya, Lizbeth Diaz, Angelica Medina and Diego Oré in Mexico City, Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)

Brendan O’Brien, Reuters