Green Card Gambit Backfires
In a dramatic turn, Chavez attempted to secure a green card in April 2024, citing marriage to a U.S. citizen. But DHS flagged his spouse for prior ties to the Sinaloa Cartel—specifically, a past relationship with the deceased son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Federal officials labeled the application a national security concern and referred the case to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for removal.
Despite that referral, a DHS system under the Biden administration had earlier deprioritized Chavez’s case, allowing him to reenter the country. Critics argue that lapse enabled the athlete to escape scrutiny—until now.
“It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose not to prioritize his removal and let him leave and come back into our country,” McLaughlin said in a statement, adding: “Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes.”
ICE Takes Action After Fight Night
Chavez’s arrest came just days after his 10-round loss to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Paul’s unanimous victory earned him his first official WBA ranking, while Chavez’s defeat—coupled with his immediate arrest—may go down as one of the most dramatic post-fight collapses in boxing history.
ICE officers reportedly tracked Chavez to a private Los Angeles residence where he was detained without incident. Federal sources described the operation as “swift and coordinated,” driven by a renewed push to root out high-profile visa violators with criminal ties.
Chavez was deemed removable from the United States on June 27, just days before the fight.
