Former world boxing champion Julio César Chávez Jr. has been released from jail in northern Mexico while awaiting trial on charges of alleged ties to the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, according to local media reports.
The 39-year-old fighter was freed following a hearing in Hermosillo, Sonora state, where Judge Enrique Hernández Miranda ruled on Saturday that he could face proceedings outside detention. His attorney, Rubén Fernando Benítez, confirmed to La Jornada that Chávez Jr. has returned home to his family.
“There is no evidence,” Benítez told reporters, arguing that prosecutors had failed to substantiate the charges. Mexican authorities accuse Chávez Jr. of acting as an enforcer for the cartel, which the United States designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. He also faces possible charges of arms trafficking and organized crime.
Chávez Jr., son of boxing legend Julio César Chávez Sr., was detained by U.S. immigration authorities in July shortly after losing a widely publicized match against American influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul. He was deported to Mexico last week, where he was promptly arrested.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has said she expects him to stand trial and confirmed prosecutors are pursuing the case. Chávez Jr.’s family and legal team, however, deny any criminal involvement, insisting the accusations are unfounded.
For now, the former champion remains free but under legal scrutiny as Mexico prepares its case in one of the highest-profile criminal proceedings to touch the country’s sporting world in recent years.
Written By Rodney Mbua
