Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. released from prison in Mexico, awaiting trial over alleged cartel ties

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. was released Sunday from a prison in northern Mexico where he was sent in August after being deported from the United States.

The boxer, son of Mexican boxing great Julio César Chávez, is awaiting trial on accusations of involvement with cartels and illegally trafficking arms into Mexico.

Chávez was released after a judge in the northern Mexican city of Hermosillo said he wouldn't have to remain in custody while awaiting trial, but that he was prohibited from leaving Mexico, a federal agent told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The judge also set a three-month period for further investigation into the case.

Chávez’s lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez has described the claims against his client as “speculation” and “urban legends.”

Chávez was detained in the U.S. in July after a high-profile match against American Jake Paul in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities had an order out for his arrest since 2023, but Mexico’s president said authorities hadn’t yet detained him because he was mostly in the U.S.

The case against Chávez is part of a broader investigation that Mexican prosecutors launched in 2019 against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms trafficking and drug trafficking, following a complaint filed by the United States.