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07/05 11:18 CDT In Sinaloa's capital, news of a boxing scion's arrest and
allegations of cartel ties cause unease
In Sinaloa's capital, news of a boxing scion's arrest and allegations of cartel
ties cause unease
By AAR0N IBARRA
Associated Press
CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) --- Inside a sports arena in Sinaloa state's capital, the
crowd was sparse early on the card as young amateur boxers in puffy headgear
threw punches and danced about the ring. Outside stood a bronze statue of Julio
Csar Chvez in boxing trunks, one glove raised.
The event Friday was organized by one of Chvez's brothers and "The Legend"
himself was advertised as a specially invited guest. But Chvez didn't appear.
It had been a difficult week for the family.
Chvez's eldest son, Julio Csar Chvez Jr., was arrested by U.S. immigration
agents outside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, accused of overstaying his
visa and lying on a green card application.
But more significant here in Culiacan was that the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security also noted that there was an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico
for alleged arms and drug trafficking and suggested ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
The agency said he would be processed for expedited removal.
The Legend The name Julio Csar Chvez in Culiacan is like saying Diego Maradona in Argentina. People stop and conversations begin. Chvez is the city's idol and source of pride, known simply as "The Legend." He went from a working class neighborhood along train tracks to the highest echelons of boxing fame and became a national hero. But when the questions turn to Chvez's eldest son and the Sinaloa Cartel, conversation ends and eyes avert. There was a time when many in Culiacan would speak of the cartel that carries their state's name, perhaps with euphemisms, but openly all the same, because its control was complete and for that they largely lived in peace. But since a bloody feud erupted between factions of the cartel last year, following the abduction of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to the United States by one of the sons of former leader Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, it's safer to avoid any mention at all.
Alleged cartel ties In the stands Friday night, the arrest of The Legend's son, was on the minds of many, but discussed only in hushed voices. 0scar Arrieta, a sports reporter in Culiacan, covers boxing and said Chvez Jr.'s arrest had had a big impact in Culiacan, largely because the "harsh" way U.S. authorities linked him to organized crime. U.S. authorities did not detail the alleged ties between Chvez Jr. and the cartel other than to mention that he married a U.S. citizen who is the mother of a granddaughter of Guzmn. He mused at why if there had been a Mexican arrest warrant since 2023, hadn't there been any effort to capture him. He was a very public figure, active on social media and for the past six months or more, training for a highly promoted fight in California. On Friday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said that he had mostly been in the U.S. since the arrest warrant was issued. "I think it was also a way for the United States to expose the Mexican government in a way, but without a doubt much more impactful, because normally sports doesn't mix with anything else, much less with organized crime," Arrieta said.
?An excellent person' Culiacan's boxing gyms had mostly been quiet since Thursday's announcement of Chvez Jr.'s arrest, in preparation for Friday's event. There had already been weigh-in for Friday's fights and most fighters weren't around. At one that was mostly covered outdoor spaces, teenagers tightly wrapped their wrists, bounced and shuffled, shadow boxing in a circle. Jorge Romero is a former professional boxer who trained under another Chvez brother. Now he's a trainer at Sinaloa Autonomous University. Romero said he knows Chvez Jr., regards him "an excellent person, a great human being" who had really focused on his training ahead of his bout in California just a week ago. He expressed full support for him. Questions of ties between Chvez Jr. and organized crime, Romero said, were "too delicate" to touch. But in general, he said boxing and the cartel walked separate paths in Culiacan. "We don't have anything to do with organized crime," he said. "On the contrary, it's a clean sport, very healthy from my point of view."
The Legend The name Julio Csar Chvez in Culiacan is like saying Diego Maradona in Argentina. People stop and conversations begin. Chvez is the city's idol and source of pride, known simply as "The Legend." He went from a working class neighborhood along train tracks to the highest echelons of boxing fame and became a national hero. But when the questions turn to Chvez's eldest son and the Sinaloa Cartel, conversation ends and eyes avert. There was a time when many in Culiacan would speak of the cartel that carries their state's name, perhaps with euphemisms, but openly all the same, because its control was complete and for that they largely lived in peace. But since a bloody feud erupted between factions of the cartel last year, following the abduction of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to the United States by one of the sons of former leader Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn, it's safer to avoid any mention at all.
Alleged cartel ties In the stands Friday night, the arrest of The Legend's son, was on the minds of many, but discussed only in hushed voices. 0scar Arrieta, a sports reporter in Culiacan, covers boxing and said Chvez Jr.'s arrest had had a big impact in Culiacan, largely because the "harsh" way U.S. authorities linked him to organized crime. U.S. authorities did not detail the alleged ties between Chvez Jr. and the cartel other than to mention that he married a U.S. citizen who is the mother of a granddaughter of Guzmn. He mused at why if there had been a Mexican arrest warrant since 2023, hadn't there been any effort to capture him. He was a very public figure, active on social media and for the past six months or more, training for a highly promoted fight in California. On Friday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said that he had mostly been in the U.S. since the arrest warrant was issued. "I think it was also a way for the United States to expose the Mexican government in a way, but without a doubt much more impactful, because normally sports doesn't mix with anything else, much less with organized crime," Arrieta said.
?An excellent person' Culiacan's boxing gyms had mostly been quiet since Thursday's announcement of Chvez Jr.'s arrest, in preparation for Friday's event. There had already been weigh-in for Friday's fights and most fighters weren't around. At one that was mostly covered outdoor spaces, teenagers tightly wrapped their wrists, bounced and shuffled, shadow boxing in a circle. Jorge Romero is a former professional boxer who trained under another Chvez brother. Now he's a trainer at Sinaloa Autonomous University. Romero said he knows Chvez Jr., regards him "an excellent person, a great human being" who had really focused on his training ahead of his bout in California just a week ago. He expressed full support for him. Questions of ties between Chvez Jr. and organized crime, Romero said, were "too delicate" to touch. But in general, he said boxing and the cartel walked separate paths in Culiacan. "We don't have anything to do with organized crime," he said. "On the contrary, it's a clean sport, very healthy from my point of view."
