In Sinaloa's capital, news of a boxing scion's arrest and allegations of cartel ties cause unease

CULIACAN, Mexico — Inside a sports arena in Sinaloa state's capital, the crowd was sparse early on the card as young amateur boxers in puffy headgear threw punches and danced about the ring. Outside stood a bronze statue of Julio César Chávez in boxing trunks, one glove raised.

The event Friday was organized by one of Chávez's brothers and ''The Legend'' himself was advertised as a specially invited guest. But Chávez didn't appear. It had been a difficult week for the family.

Chávez's eldest son, Julio César Chávez Jr., was arrested by U.S. immigration agents outside his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, accused of overstaying his visa and lying on a green card application.

But more significant here in Culiacan was that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also noted that there was an active warrant for his arrest in Mexico for alleged arms and drug trafficking and suggested ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The agency said he would be processed for expedited removal.

The Legend

The name Julio César Chávez in Culiacan is like saying Diego Maradona in Argentina. People stop and conversations begin.

Chávez is the city's idol and source of pride, known simply as ''The Legend.'' He went from a working class neighborhood along train tracks to the highest echelons of boxing fame and became a national hero.

But when the questions turn to Chávez's eldest son and the Sinaloa Cartel, conversation ends and eyes avert.

There was a time when many in Culiacan would speak of the cartel that carries their state's name, perhaps with euphemisms, but openly all the same, because its control was complete and for that they largely lived in peace.

But since a bloody feud erupted between factions of the cartel last year, following the abduction of Ismael ''El Mayo'' Zambada to the United States by one of the sons of former leader Joaquín ''El Chapo'' Guzmán, it's safer to avoid any mention at all.

Alleged cartel ties

In the stands Friday night, the arrest of The Legend's son, was on the minds of many, but discussed only in hushed voices.

Óscar Arrieta, a sports reporter in Culiacan, covers boxing and said Chávez Jr.'s arrest had had a big impact in Culiacan, largely because the ''harsh'' way U.S. authorities linked him to organized crime.

U.S. authorities did not detail the alleged ties between Chávez Jr. and the cartel other than to mention that he married a U.S. citizen who is the mother of a granddaughter of Guzmán.

He mused at why if there had been a Mexican arrest warrant since 2023, hadn't there been any effort to capture him. He was a very public figure, active on social media and for the past six months or more, training for a highly promoted fight in California.

On Friday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said that he had mostly been in the U.S. since the arrest warrant was issued.

''I think it was also a way for the United States to expose the Mexican government in a way, but without a doubt much more impactful, because normally sports doesn't mix with anything else, much less with organized crime,'' Arrieta said.

‘An excellent person'

Culiacan's boxing gyms had mostly been quiet since Thursday's announcement of Chávez Jr.'s arrest, in preparation for Friday's event.

There had already been weigh-in for Friday's fights and most fighters weren't around.

At one that was mostly covered outdoor spaces, teenagers tightly wrapped their wrists, bounced and shuffled, shadow boxing in a circle.

Jorge Romero is a former professional boxer who trained under another Chávez brother. Now he's a trainer at Sinaloa Autonomous University.

Romero said he knows Chávez Jr., regards him ''an excellent person, a great human being'' who had really focused on his training ahead of his bout in California just a week ago. He expressed full support for him.

Questions of ties between Chávez Jr. and organized crime, Romero said, were ''too delicate'' to touch. But in general, he said boxing and the cartel walked separate paths in Culiacan.

''We don't have anything to do with organized crime,'' he said. ''On the contrary, it's a clean sport, very healthy from my point of view.''