Boxer Chavez's legal appeals to block US deportation denied in Mexico

Mexican courts have denied requests from the legal team of boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. to prevent his arrest in the event of deportation from the United States, where he was detained over alleged ties to drug trafficking, the prosecutor's office said on Sunday.

The fighter, son of Mexican boxing legend Julio César Chávez, was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles for providing fraudulent information in his application for U.S. permanent residency. He now faces possible deportation to Mexico.

The defense attorneys "have filed" "five or six injunctions" of behalf of the boxer" to ensure he is released immediately upon arrival in Mexico," Attorney General Alejandro Gertz said at a press conference.

These amparo appeals, which can grant provisional or permanent protection to the petitioner, were rejected because the accused has not yet been turned over to Mexican authorities, he explained.

Deportation scheduled for Monday

The prosecutor said the boxer’s deportation could be decided at an immigration hearing, which, according to his defense team, is scheduled for Monday.

Chávez, whose athletic career has declined at age 39, is accused of having ties to the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States has designated as a terrorist organization.

Following his arrest, U.S. authorities announced Thursday that they were moving forward with his expedited removal and cited the charges he faces in Mexico.

The fighter’s arrest came just four days after he headlined one of the year’s most highly publicized boxing events in the United States, where he was defeated by local fighter Jake Paul.

Chávez’s defense team denied the accusations, arguing that his arrest is intended to "terrorize the community" amid ongoing raids targeting undocumented immigrants.