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News > Sport

Boxing Legend Julio Cesar Chavez Linked to Drug Trafficking

  • Actress Yolanda Andrade, Julio Cesar Chavez and Kate del Castillo

    Actress Yolanda Andrade, Julio Cesar Chavez and Kate del Castillo | Photo: noticiasnet

Published 22 January 2016
Opinion

Chavez denied the accusations made by a Mexican columnist in El Universal and said he was preparing to sue him and the newspaper for defamation.

Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez denied any connection with drug trafficking late night on Thursday, a couple days after El Universal columnist Ricardo Aleman accused him of laundering money for narco cartels and having connections with some of the most powerful drug kingpins in Mexico.

Chavez, once considered the best lightweight boxer in the world, said he had spoken to lawyers in Mexico and the United States and that they were preparing a lawsuit for defamation against Aleman and El Universal, one of Mexico's largest and oldest newspapers.

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​“I spoke to my lawyers in the United States and Mexico, and we will be suing them for defamation, because that man (Aleman) has no grounds to make these accusations,” Chavez said.

Aleman accused Chavez of laundering money for various drug cartels, having taken over the job from now deceased Rolando Andrade, the father of famous Mexican actress Yolanda Andrade.

Chavez, however, admitted he has many friends who are drug traffickers.

“It's true, I've known many, very many (drug traffickers). You all know. I've met people from all social classes ... from the president of Mexico to the poorest,” he said. “I met the people and I've taken pictures with everybody because I've never denied anybody a photo, be it a poor person, be it a rich person, be it a drug trafficker.”

But, he conclusively rejected he is a drug trafficker or that he ever laundered money.

“I have no idea where he (Aleman) got that fricken bullshit lies from, which if were true, why would have I continued fighting ... I retired at 42 from boxing,” said Chavez, who is now a sports commentator on television.

“I do accept that in fact Francisco Arellano Felix—who was killed by a man dressed as a clown in 2007 during a wedding in Tijuana, across from San Diego, California—was my friend, but when he was detained (in 1993) this did not take place at my home.”

During his time as a boxer, Chavez garnered six world titles and ended 80 fights in knockout, however, the excessive use of alcohol and drug put his life and career on the ropes.

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​In May of last year, he himself admitted this fact.

“I had it all ... money, women, fame, cars, yachts, everything a man could want ... but it didn’t give my life meaning,” said Chavez. “I felt nothing. So what did I do? The most stupidest thing I could. I consumed drugs and alcohol.”

Chavez also admitted he was close friends with Kate del Castillo and Yolanda Andrade. Castillo is being questioned by federal officials in Mexico due to her alleged illegal links to Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, while Andrade is being accused of bringing Castillo and El Chapo together.

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