The junior beat up Los Chapitos hitmen

Gustavo Castillo García

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. 9

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. appeared linked as a member of the Sinaloa cartel after the Culiacanazo in 2019, when Ovidio Guzmán, known as El Ratón , was arrested and released by federal authorities due to the violent actions carried out by members of that criminal organization in Culiacán, federal authorities said.

The first signs emerged in 2020, when armed forces intelligence groups intensified investigations to dismantle Ovidio's group, considered one of the main traffickers of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States.

In that context, Chávez Carrasco (or Chávez Jr.) was associated with members of the Sinaloa cartel operating in Sonora, particularly with firearms suppliers for hitmen working for Ovidio and Iván Guzmán Salazar, according to sources from the security cabinet.

The Sinaloa boxer is accused in the same criminal case initiated in Sonora against Martín León Romero, who was arrested in January 2025 in Nogales and identified as a weapons manufacturer and trafficker from the US to Mexico.

In criminal case 15/2023, an arrest warrant was requested against Ovidio Guzmán, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, Marx García Rodríguez, Néstor Isidro García, El Nini (head of security and hitmen groups of Los Chapitos ), Mario Alberto Gaspar Martínez, Germán González Monjaraz, Juan Pablo Vargas Báez, Antonio González Zermeño, Héctor Gustavo Cruz Fuentes, Andrés Felipe Espinoza Huerta, Néstor Alfredo García Rodríguez and Julio César Chávez Carrasco.

The Chapitos and their inner circle became priority targets for the Mexican and U.S. governments, but the Special Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime prioritized the capture of Iván and Ovidio Guzmán's hitmen and operatives.

Since 2017, Chávez Jr's relationship with Frida Muñoz (who was the wife of Édgar Guzmán López, son of El Chapo Guzmán) allegedly strengthened the bond that the boxer had with Los Chapitos , until he became a hitman for the cartel members who made mistakes when following the orders of their bosses.

Regarding the arrest warrant and the fact that it was executed only on Thursday, more than two years after it was obtained, members of the security cabinet justified it as a way to advance priority objectives and not disclose the content of the investigation to other members of the organization .

They explained that the court order issued by a Mexican federal judge requires that once Chávez Jr. is deported to Mexico, he must appear before the judge who issued the order and remain incarcerated in the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 11 in Hermosillo, Sonora, or in the first one in Almoloya de Juárez.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a10

In the final days of the Gold Cup, the rivalry between Mexico and the United States amplified the protests of dozens of fans against Donald Trump's immigration policy. Messages and banners circulated on social media condemning the actions of the U.S. government, while in Houston, where the two nations will decide the CONCACAF title on Sunday, current and former officials admitted that the duel has a different meaning than in past editions.

"These are the games we all want to play ," says Guadalajara midfielder Roberto Piojo Alvarado, in the final stretch of a tournament that could mean the Tricolor's first back-to-back championship since the victories of 2009 and 2011. "It's the last competition we have of the year, and we know there's a great rivalry. We want to maintain that momentum, the motivation to lift the trophy again. We're going to give it our all to honor Mexico ."

Since before the first match at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, immigration raids and subsequent protests in the center of the Californian city produced a diplomatic silence from the Tricolor. Questioned at a press conference, coach Javier Aguirre argued that he was not a spokesperson for Mexicans , which produced strong opposition from fans who attend stadiums. "What a disappointment that he doesn't have a message for the people he's always supporting ," they reproached on YouTube channels and the social network X.

Given the tension on the streets of the United States, former representatives of this international classic prefer to steer the conversation toward sports.

It would be a shame if Mexico lost , says former Mexico defender Alexis Lalas.

This will be the first Gold Cup final between the two countries since 2021, the year the northern team was crowned champion. The only obstacle for the Mexicans has to do with a precedent: they haven't been able to defeat their bitter rivals in a tournament final since Gerardo Martino's time in 2019.

What we want is for all this time away from family and home to be worth it by lifting the Gold Cup. We have a very close-knit group , emphasizes Piojo Alvarado, referring to a 40-day training camp under Aguirre's coaching direction. "It's been a long time together; the group has done well; we're growing. Now it's time to face the United States again with the same motivation ."

According to CONCACAF, nearly 60,000 people have already secured their seats at NRG Stadium (with a capacity of 72,220) in Houston for the tournament final. For the first time, the organizers designated the Texas city as the venue for the final match, a fitting setting for crowning the champion , the Confederation explains.

▲ Cole Palmer (left) paved the way for the Blues to win, as they defeated the South American team, one of the Brazilian champions, 2-1. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a10

European precision overcame Brazil's footballing prowess this time. Chelsea, one of England's most traditional teams, found the formula through restraint and accurate attacking to beat Palmeiras, one of the Brazilian soccer monarchs, 2-1, sealing their place in the Club World Cup semifinals.

The Blues , who were crowned champions of the 2021 World Cup , will fight on Tuesday for a ticket to the decisive duel against Fluminense, runners-up in the Rio tournament, which hours earlier ended Al-Hilal's aspirations of consolidating itself as the dark horse of the tournament.

Until now, the Brazilians had dominated the tournament, with Botafogo, Flamengo, Palmeiras, and Fluminense having defeated even European teams to comfortably advance from the group stage. However, the road became more complicated for each of them, and only Fluminense remains one step away from reaching the final.

Led by Cole Palmer in attack and under a precision strategy imposed by manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea quickly read Palmeiras' shortcomings at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Thus, the first goal came from the boots of Palmer, who resisted the Brazilian defense to define with a left-footed shot and shake the nets just in the 16th minute. Palmeiras responded in the second half with a stroke of Estêvão (53).

But the English wouldn't budge, so they waited for the exact moment to break through the opposing defense and, after taking advantage of a goalkeeper error, sealed the game. Malo Gusto sent a shot from inside the box that hit goalkeeper Agustín Giay and then went in. It was the fall of one of Brazil's greats at the World Cup .

Earlier, Fluminense were the first to qualify for the final by eliminating Al-Hilal 2-1. The club is owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, one of the tournament's most important sponsors, and had been the surprise team of the tournament after reaching this stage supported by its goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

The club led by Italian Simone Inzaghi bids farewell with dignity as Asia's best representative, after defying the statistics by eliminating Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the round of 16 and earning a draw with Real Madrid in the group stage.

Goalkeeper Bounou was once again key in the first half of a match that had been more technical at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, until the Brazilians took advantage of a mistake by their opponents to break the deadlock shortly before halftime.

With a powerful left-footed shot, Gabriel Martinelli (40) rattled the net after receiving a pass from Gabriel Fuentes following a poor exit from the Saudi defence. The wall that Bounou himself had held up until then collapsed.

The possibility of a penalty for Al-Hilal near halftime sparked tension, but VAR ruled there was no foul on Samuel Xavier's part. However, the Arab side leveled the score at the start of the second half with a strike from Marcos Leonardo (51).

The Brazilian hero would come off the bench, when Hércules (71) came in as a substitute to turn the game around and secure victory with a shot near the left post that unleashed euphoria among the more than 43 thousand fans who witnessed the duel between the South American power and the surprising Al-Hilal.

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a10

Gondomar. Family and friends of Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva gathered at a chapel where their bodies were taken for a mass yesterday, a day after the two Portuguese players died in a car accident.

Some embraced and cried before entering the Chapel of the Resurrection of Saint Cosme. The brothers' parents, as well as Jota's agent, Jorge Mendes, and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, were among those present at the ceremony.

Mourners left flowers and candles next to a tree outside the chapel, located next to the Mother Church of Gondomar, in eastern Portugal, where the brothers' funeral will take place today. Gondomar, a working-class city near Porto, is where Jota began his football career and where his parents live.

Jota, 28, and André Silva, 25, were found dead near Zamora, in northwest Spain, after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed and burst into flames on an isolated stretch of road in the early hours of Thursday.

Both were heading from Santander, on the northern coast of Spain, to England, where Diogo would join Liverpool.

Jota's death occurred two weeks after he married Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children, the youngest barely a year old.

Spanish police are investigating the cause of the accident, which did not involve another vehicle.

Minute of silence

Condolences continued to pour in from Portuguese officials and the world of sports. FIFA President Gianni Infantino declared a tribute with a minute of silence at the Club World Cup quarterfinal matches.

Portuguese players Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, both of Al-Hilal, were in tears before the match against Fluminense in memory of their good friend and former teammate. During the match between Chelsea and Palmeiras, Pedro Neto, who was devastated by the death, and Enzo Fernández held up a shirt bearing the names of Diogo and André.

At Wimbledon, Portuguese Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral wore black bow ties on their white uniforms.

▲ The Auriazules coach, who continues to work on the team's structure ahead of the tournament, stated that the Welshman is eager to contribute his experience and help develop the youth team. Photo @pumasmx

Alberto Aceves

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a11

Pumas technical director Efraín Juárez believes there are players in soccer who sooner or later will be role models for the younger players. With just a few days left until the start of the Liga MX season, the Mexican expounds on this theory by signing Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who was introduced Thursday as a new addition at the Cantera facilities. "Ever since I was in Colombia with Atlético Nacional, I've tried to bring him in; now the opportunity has arisen ," he states. "Superman isn't coming to save anyone. He's eager to help, to prepare himself so we can achieve our goals and lead his team to the World Cup ."

The assembly of the university squad is still in progress. Since the departure of Lisando Magallán last month, other players such as Ricardo Galindo, Ali Ávila, Michell Rodríguez, Leo Suárez, Robert Ergas, and Rogelio Funes Mori have been left out by decision of the coaching staff and management. "I have no further news; I understand there may be some possibility, but right now I'm only counting on what I have ," Juárez responds when talking about reinforcements. Ramsey is the first on a list of several names, which also includes Colombian fullback Álvaro Angulo, whom he knows from his time with the Verdolaga team.

"We need to strengthen that position, but I'm not talking about rumors. In the coming days, we'll have to decide which player will come; it's not about buying for the sake of buying ," he argues in preparation for the friendly against Spanish club Leganés, to be played tomorrow at the Olympic Stadium at Ciudad Universitaria. When describing the profile he's looking for in a reinforcement, the former international mentions Ramsey, a multi-time European champion with Arsenal and Juventus. "He's not coming for the money. He could have stayed in Cardiff, but he's taking on the challenge of coming to contribute to the development of the younger players ."

14 years without titles

Juárez is no stranger to Pumas' 14-year Liga MX title absence. Just as he did when he was introduced four months ago, he embraces the results delivered so far during his tenure: four wins, the same number of losses, and three draws, in addition to last season's play-in round elimination. The demand to improve his numbers, he maintains, is shared by both management and players. "I asked them to have European-level opponents like Leganés, which is why I value the effort they put in ," he notes about the final warm-up match ahead of the 2025 Apertura.

I've never been on probation. From the first day I arrived, I've taken responsibility for the results. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning every day with the same enthusiasm for preparing for training, working, and building the squad; we're all on the same page. If more reinforcements arrive, they will; no one is coming to save the day. If people are added to strengthen us, all the better, but there are no excuses. That's how things are at this club, and we have no problem with that. The team is doing well; we'll see after Sunday what we're made for .

The UNAM men's and women's squads will be introduced to their fans this Sunday at an event called Pumas Fan Fest. In addition to debuting this season's uniforms, the team coached by Juárez will face the relegated Leganés from the Spanish League. Mexico has grown tremendously in recent years. Just look at the number of renowned players in this league to know that their level is rising , says former soccer player and current Pepineros coach, Paco López.

AFP and Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a11

World number two Carlos Alcaraz of Spain struggled yesterday to defeat world number 125 Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany in the third round; however, he advanced to the round of 16 at Wimbledon, where he is seeking his third consecutive title.

As happened several times on his way to winning the trophy at the recent Roland Garros, the Iberian suffered some setbacks during the match and had to work extra hard to secure a four-set victory, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in two hours and 27 minutes.

I knew it was going to be very difficult, that I had to be very focused. It was stressful. To be honest, I struggled in every game today on my serve , Alcaraz admitted.

In the round of 16, the Spanish star will face Russian Andrey Rublev (14), who in turn defeated Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-2 and 6-3.

After her titles at Roland Garros and Queen's, Alcaraz extended her winning streak and now has 21 consecutive matches won.

Should he win a third consecutive Wimbledon title, the Spaniard would become the fifth player to achieve such a streak at the iconic tournament, following Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Novak Djokovic.

In the rest of the men's draw, American Taylor Fritz, fifth-ranked player in the world, won in four sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7) and 6-1 against the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich (27th in the ATP).

Fritz will face Australian Jordan Thompson (44) in the round of 16, who beat Italian Luciano Darderi (59) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6 and 6-3.

In the women's draw, Madison Keys, the eighth-ranked player in the WTA and recent Australian Open champion, fell in the third round, 6-4, against Germany's Laura Siegemund, who will face Argentina's Solana Sierra (101) in the round of 16. Sierra qualified after defeating Spain's Cristina Bucsa 7-5, 1-6, 6-1. Keys was the sixth member of the women's top 10 to be eliminated.

The global number one, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, was able to overcome the resistance of the British Emma Raducanu (40), whom she defeated 7-6 (8/6) and 6-4.

In the round of 16, Sabalenka will face her former Belgian doubles partner Elise Mertens (23).

Meanwhile, Mexican Giuliana Olmos and British player Lloyd Glasspool were eliminated in the mixed doubles event after falling 6-3, 6-3 to American Jackson Withrow and Russian Irina Khromacheva in the first round.

Thus, Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela, competing in men's doubles, remains the only active Mexican tennis player at Wimbledon. This Saturday, he will play alongside Indian Sriram Balaji in his second-round match against seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina.

Reuters and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, July 5, 2025, p. a11

Silverstone. British driver Lando Norris (McLaren) made the most of his home advantage and set the fastest time yesterday in the second free practice session for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, held at the legendary Silverstone track.

Norris was the fastest with a time of one minute and 25.816 seconds, followed by the Ferraris of Monegasque Charles Leclerc (0.222 seconds behind) and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton (0.301 seconds behind), who was the fastest in the first practice.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri (McLaren) finished fourth, while reigning four-time world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) of the Netherlands and Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), who will lose three places on the grid for the race, finished fifth and sixth respectively.

Canadian Lance Stroll finished seventh for Aston Martin, and Briton George Russell finished eighth in his Mercedes. Racing Bulls' Frenchman Isack Hadjar finished ninth, and his New Zealand teammate Liam Lawson finished tenth.

Last year's race winner, Hamilton, fueled hopes of another home victory after setting a fastest lap of 1:26.892 in early practice, while 17-year-old Briton-Swede Arvid Lindblad looked strong in his debut session for Red Bull.

Hamilton is on a 13-race run without a podium finish, the worst of his career, but holds a record of nine home wins and will be looking to end the long drought.

It's the first time the seven-time world champion has raced on home soil in the red Ferrari car. The Italian team has yet to win this season, the only one of the top four to do so.

Piastri leads Norris by 15 points now that the championship has reached Silverstone, the midpoint of the season. McLaren has a solid 207-point advantage over Ferrari in the constructors' standings.

The third practice session will take place today, as well as the qualifying session that will determine tomorrow's starting order.