What Julio César Chávez Jr. and the Sons of El Chapo Guzmán Were Doing Is Revealed

Former trainer reveals visits by Ovidio Guzmán to Chávez Jr.

FGR names Chávez Jr. as an alleged cartel enforcer.

DHS labels him a threat to public safety.

Amid accusations linking Julio César Chávez Jr. to the Sinaloa Cartel, legendary trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristáin revealed that Ovidio Guzmán, alias “El Ratón” and son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, attended the Mexican boxer’s training sessions at the Otomí Ceremonial Center in the State of Mexico.

Chávez Jr., arrested in July in Los Angeles for immigration violations, is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

He also faces an arrest warrant in Mexico for alleged involvement in organized crime and arms trafficking, according to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR).

This was reported by La Opinión.

Former trainer reveals visits by Ovidio Guzmán to Chávez Jr.

Ovidio Guzmán visited Julio César Chávez Jr. during his training sessions, reveals Nacho Beristáin, a historic boxing coach. #Latinus #InformaciónParaTi https://t.co/pnXLlAZ76F

— Latinus (@latinus_us) August 5, 2025

In an interview with the YouTube channel El Boxglero, Beristáin recounted that during his last training session with Chávez Jr., one of “Los Chapitos” showed up to greet him. At first, he did not recognize the person, but later he was told it was Ovidio Guzmán.

“The young man chatted with me, he had his shirt open and wore a scapular. Later the guys told me: ‘You were talking to El Ratón,’” he said.

The trainer clarified that Guzmán “cares a lot for Julio” and encouraged him during the sessions. However, he stressed that he never witnessed any criminal activity and that the relationship appeared to be strictly personal.

He also recalled that Chávez Jr. and his brother had socialized from a young age with people linked to drug trafficking, as they attended the same schools.

Family ties and allegations

“He cares a lot for Julio”: Nacho Beristáin says a son of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán once came to the gym to visit Chávez Jr. https://t.co/WJNZpu7pvy

— El Financiero (@ElFinanciero_Mx) August 6, 2025

The closeness between Chávez Jr. and Ovidio Guzmán had already been acknowledged by the boxer himself in 2022, when he explained that he knew “El Ratón” through his connection to Frida Muñoz Román, his then wife and widow of Édgar Guzmán, son of “El Chapo,” who was killed in 2008.

“Ovidio is her uncle, that’s why I know him. He’s been a good person to me,” he said at the time, denying any criminal ties.

Nevertheless, a document cited by the newspaper Reforma names him as an alleged “enforcer” for the Sinaloa Cartel, supposedly under the orders of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, alias “El Nini,” considered a high-ranking operative of the group.

The FGR describes him as a “vile henchman and/or enforcer.”

Legal situation and defense

Beristáin stated that Julio César Chávez Jr. is in a difficult situation, but insisted on his innocence. “I don’t think the kid went that far.

He got himself into trouble, and the Americans are taking advantage,” he said. He also recalled that the boxer’s family, especially his ex-wife, had supported him financially in legal problems, such as when she paid a $75,000 bail after an arrest for carrying a firearm.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has labeled him a “serious threat to public safety” and identifies him as an “affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel.”

He is currently being held in California, awaiting deportation to Mexico to face federal authorities.

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