Julio César Chávez Jr.’s ties to El Chapo’s family: ‘Ovidio is my daughter’s uncle. He’s a good person’

The Chávez family’s roots in Los Angeles run deep. Although originally from Sonora, in northern Mexico, Julio César Chávez Junior, 39, lives partly in the United States, specifically in Los Angeles. In fact, he has a house north of the city, in Studio City, where he was arrested this Thursday, on the other side of the famous hills with the white Hollywood sign. It was in this city that he met his ex-wife, Frida Muñoz Román, the widow of a son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, more than a decade ago. From then on, a relationship began with the drug lord’s family that Chávez has never concealed.

The one-time middleweight boxing champion, also known as “The Son of the Legend” for the achievements of his father, a living legend of boxing south of the Rio Grande, frequently works in the city. In fact, a few days ago he faced off against fellow boxer Jake Paul in Anaheim, southwest of Los Angeles. Shortly afterward, he was arrested over a visa issue. Following the arrest, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Chávez will be deported to Mexico, where he has an outstanding warrant for arms trafficking and ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. The accusations stem from his connection to El Chapo’s family.

Chávez married Muñoz in 2018. For her it was her second marriage. Previously, Muñoz, 37, who holds a degree in business administration from a university in Culiacán, was married to Edgar Guzmán, the kingpin’s son. The couple had one daughter, Frida Sofía Guzmán Muñoz, born in 2006. She only knew her father for two years, since he was murdered in 2008. It was then that Muñoz moved to Los Angeles and met Chávez Jr. They lived there together and later married. The boxer raised his stepdaughter from a very young age and has always considered her a daughter. The couple also had two children, Julia and Julio César Chávez III. Last year, they decided to divorce.

Their relationship, which they have frequently displayed on social media, has always been turbulent, with many ups and downs. In fact, a year earlier, in 2023, they were on the verge of separating. Fights and accusations of abuse have been constant; he once claimed that she pushed him when he was drunk. However, just three days ago, Muñoz herself posted a photo on her Instagram profile, with more than 84,000 followers, showing herself with Chávez Jr., celebrating his victory in Anaheim. “In life and in the ring, true victory is having a family that loves you and believes in you,” she wrote, alongside a heart icon.

Frida Muñoz is a U.S. citizen. In its statement Thursday regarding Chávez’s arrest, the Department of Homeland Security highlighted her connection to the Sinaloa Cartel. “On April 2, 2024, Chávez filed an application for Lawful Permanent Resident status. Chávez’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 cartel’s infamous leader, Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán,” it states.

Although Frida Muñoz has maintained that she has been estranged from her first husband’s family for years, between 2015 and 2018, the Mexican Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) decided to investigate and freeze her and her daughter’s accounts.

Chávez Jr. has never concealed his relationship with Los Chapitos, and specifically with Ovidio Guzmán, known as El Ratón. “I get along with everyone,” he said in a 2022 webcast. Regarding El Ratón, he stated: “He’s the uncle of my daughter, who has been my daughter for a long time. I know him well, and he’s a good person.” But he always tried to insist that he not be linked to any criminal group, from which his wife had already distanced herself, and whose only connection was little Frida Sofía.

Frida Sofía, 19, maintains a good relationship with her stepfather, who raised her throughout her childhood in Los Angeles. The young woman is trying to make a career in the music world, specifically in regional Mexican music.

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