Jake Paul watching Jutta Leerdam watching the race WC Single Distances on March 15, 2025. IMAGO / Pro Shots

Jake Paul Makes Explosive Canelo Alvarez Implication Amid Julio Cesar Chavez Jr ICE Arrest, Deportation

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 7:09 PM ET

On July 3, news broke that Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had been arrested by ICE agents in Southern California and is currently being processed for "expedited removal" from the United States.

This comes just a few days after Chavez Jr. lost a professional fight to Jake Paul by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California. A press release posted on the Department of Homeland Security website on July 3 said that Chavez, "has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organized crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives."

It also alleged that Chavez filed application for Lawful Permanent Resident status in 2024, which was Chavez’s application "was based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman."

Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been arrested by U.S. immigration officers and is being processed for expedited removal from the country, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Thursday.

The DHS said Chavez Jr., who fought Jake Paul on Saturday in… pic.twitter.com/RcAp6xfBlz
— ESPN (@espn) July 3, 2025

While Jake Paul hasn't spoken out publicly regarding the imminent deportation of a man he fought four days ago, he has made several social media posts that fans believe are related to this arrest.

One of them simply wrote, "Canelo is next".

Canelo is next
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) July 3, 2025

While Paul is clearly being cryptic, many boxing fans are taking this as Paul's way of predicting that Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is next when it comes to being arrested and deported by ICE. While Canelo has never had clear ties to any Mexican cartels, there have always been rumors about potential associations.

In fact, just two days ago, Canelo was linked to a man under investigation for allegedly laundering money for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) cartel, as the man was Canelo's former business partner, according to a July 1 article from the Latin Times.

Business Partner of Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez Accused Of Using Stores in Money Laundering Operation For Jalisco Cartel https://t.co/VUpsQUgChN
— Yolanda Aguilar (@Yolanda020473) July 3, 2025

It's worth reiterating that one can't say for certain what Paul was alluding to. But given that Canelo signed a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh (which Paul is painfully aware of), he's certainly not teasing that Canelo is his next opponent in the boxing ring.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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