The boxing world was in a state of shock last night as former world champion, Julio Cesar Chávez Jr., was seen being detained, shackled, and moved into ICE custody. It becomes the latest in a long line of indiscretions in a career that once promised so much, but recently reached new lows in defeats to retired MMA greats and YouTubers. 

Why Has The DHS Acted? 

News is still coming out, but it’s thought that there are three reasons why the boxer has been detained and is currently awaiting deportation. He has stayed beyond the time limit set on his visa, which in itself would be enough to get him removed from the country. Second, he has been accused of having lied on his green card. Third, he is also being linked with the infamous Sinaloa Cartel back in Mexico. 

What’s Next?

While the boxer’s career has been over in any meaningful way for years — just last year he underwent an extended spell in rehab — legal proceedings could tie him up for decades. It’s the suspected links to the cartel that are going to be occupying his expensive legal team this morning. 

The U.S. has become much tougher on the cartels in recent years, and a high-profile deportation or future extradition could be what they are looking for. As for Chávez Jr., he is currently being held with other detainees at a processing center, and details are still emerging about his likely timeline for removal from the U.S. and return to Mexico.