Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was released from a northern Mexican prison on Sunday, and a Hermosillo judge said Chavez will stand trial over alleged cartel ties and arms trafficking.
The Associated Press reported Sunday, per Chavez’s lawyer Ruben Fernando Benitez Alvarez, that the Mexican court "imposed additional measures and granted three months of further investigation into the case."
Alvarez told the AP that the claims against the 39-year-old Chavez are “speculation” and “urban legends,” but if convicted, Chavez could face a four-to-eight-year prison sentence.
The AP also reported that Chavez doesn’t have to remain in custody while awaiting trial but is prohibited from leaving Mexico.
Chavez was deported from the United States to Mexico on Aug. 19
following his July 2 arrest by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application. The incident occurred four days after
Chavez fought Jake Paul to a 10-round unanimous decision loss in Anaheim, California.
At the time of his arrest, the United States Department of Homeland Security stated that Chavez had an active arrest warrant in Mexico since 2023 for his “involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives” and that he was “believed to be an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel.”
Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.