Julio César Chávez Jr. is released from prison and is now training in Hermosillo; this is how he reunited with his father.
Following his release from prison, boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., son of the legendary Mexican boxer of the same name, has returned to his normal life while awaiting his next hearing, which will be in three months. The hearing will be held when the Mexican Attorney General's Office will complete its investigation into his alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in order to file a formal charge.
As the process moves forward, Chávez Jr. has chosen to stay away from television cameras and the press.
"He has the right to a normal life. Let's not lose sight of the fact that he is innocent," said his lawyer, Rubén Benítez, who said he did not know where in Mexico the boxer, who left a federal prison in Hermosillo, capital of the northern state of Sonora, on Sunday , is currently being held by a judge.
A video was posted on Instagram on Monday showing Chávez training at a gym in Hermosillo while reuniting with his father, Julio César Chávez. The clip sparked controversy because the two greeted each other and kissed on the lips.
🔴A video of a reunion in #Hermosillo between Julio César Chávez and Julio César Chávez Jr. at #ColiseoBoxingClub went viral today.
Father and son shared a big kiss and hug after “JR,” as he is known, was charged with crimes related to… pic.twitter.com/ZoH3uXUyL5
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., 39, was arrested on July 2 by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his tourist visa , which expired in February 2024, and lying on a green card application.
A month and a half later, he was deported and held in a prison in Sonora, where he was charged with organized crime involving the illegal importation of weapons, as part of an investigation into the Sinaloa Cartel.
But last Saturday, Judge Enrique Hernández ruled that Chávez Jr. must face trial in freedom and can only leave Mexico with a court permit. He was also prohibited from contact with the agents investigating his case.
At that hearing, the Attorney General's Office presented 21 pieces of evidence to request the boxer's indictment, including recordings of telephone conversations that allegedly linked him to Néstor Pérez Salas, alias "El Nini," head of security for "Los Chapitos," sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. Pérez Salas was arrested in 2023 and extradited to the United States a year later.
Among the evidence, it is also mentioned that a boxing robe belonging to Chávez Jr. was found on a property belonging to Pérez Salas.
Benítez dismissed the wiretaps and said in an interview with The Associated Press that in one of the recordings, two unidentified people can be heard "talking about anecdotal matters, and during the course of their conversation, they mentioned my client's name and said he was a comrade. They didn't say he works for them."
Similarly, the lawyer downplayed the boxing gown evidence , clarifying that it was framed in a painting .
"There's talk that it could be my client's, but it's not authenticated. We don't know how it got there. We don't know if it was bought at an auction or in a sports specialty store," he added.
When asked about reports linking Chávez Jr. to the Sinaloa Cartel , Benítez denied any involvement and said there was "no evidence" to suggest the boxer knew or collaborated with Pérez Salas.
They don't care what El Mayo says in the United States, because they're protected here. They have the Attorney General's Office and the new judges and magistrates on their side. Like Julio César Chávez Jr., who, despite the evidence, is free.
Thus the "justice made to measure" of the 4T and the complicity with the... pic.twitter.com/DhHdyGurqP
— Roberto Madrazo (@RobertoMadrazo_) August 25, 2025
But last month, Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero confirmed that an investigation into Chávez Jr. had been underway since 2019 following a complaint filed by U.S. authorities against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime and trafficking in persons, weapons, and drugs.
As part of the process, Mexican authorities issued arrest warrants for several people in 2023, including the boxer.
Gertz Manero asserted that Chávez Jr. entered the United States in 2023, where he lived "protected by American law, even though they knew there was an arrest warrant."
The boxer's lawyer refuted the attorney general's claims, pointing out that the Public Ministry handled the arrest request "in secret" and never notified Chávez Jr. of the measure or made a "real effort to search for him at his home," despite the fact that he was a public figure.
The career of the son of Julio César Chávez, one of the most popular and successful Mexican boxers in history, has been marked by scandals and a battle with drug addiction.
In 2012, he was found guilty of drunk driving in Los Angeles and sentenced to 13 days in jail.
Early last year, he was arrested for weapons possession and released shortly after posting $50,000 bail on the condition that he attend a treatment facility for his addiction.
🚨 NOTE: Julio César Chávez Jr. was caught at the #Hermosillo Airport.
Days after being released on parole after being charged with organized crime, the boxing champion's son was seen Tuesday at the airport in the capital of… pic.twitter.com/FS55D5ZhjN
— Luis Alberto Medina (@elalbertomedina) August 26, 2025
yucatan
