Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr to be released pending trial
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers escort Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr as he is deported through Arizona's Nogales Port of Entry, on Aug 21.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MEXICO CITY – Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will be released while awaiting trial for alleged links to drug cartels, his lawyer said on Aug 24 after a court hearing in Mexico.
Chavez Jr, 39, son of boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, was deported from the United States
“He will be released immediately as ordered by the judge,” lawyer Ruben Fernando Benitez told reporters.
Chavez faces charges of “organised crime” without a leadership role, and for allegedly participating in the “clandestine introduction of weapons into Mexico”, the lawyer said.
Mr Benitez said “very strict measures”, including a travel ban, were imposed, but added that Chavez would comply.
During the hearing, the attorney-general’s office requested three additional months to gather evidence, according to local media.
The next hearing is set for Nov 24.
The US authorities arrested Chavez in July for being in the US illegally.
They also said he was wanted in Mexico for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel, one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated as terrorist organisations by the US.
After Chavez’s deportation, the Mexican authorities transferred him to a prison in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state.
Chavez’s arrest in July came days after his lopsided loss
If convicted, Chavez could face four to eight years in prison, his lawyer said. AFP
