By News Editor 
Julio César Chávez Jr., son of the legendary boxing champion with roots in Sonora and a strong presence in Sinaloa, formed a family connection to Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s circle after marrying Frida Muñoz in 2016. Before their marriage, Frida had been in a relationship with Édgar Guzmán López, one of El Chapo’s sons. From that earlier relationship, she had a daughter, Frida Sofía Guzmán, born in September 2005 in Culiacán. Through his marriage to Frida, Chávez Jr. became a father figure to Frida Sofía, indirectly tying him to the Guzmán name, though his career remained focused entirely on sports and social media.
Édgar Guzmán López died in 2008 during a violent incident in a parking lot in the Tres Ríos area of Culiacán. He was accompanied by close associates when an armed attack occurred. Various reports suggest the shooting may have resulted from a mistaken identity, amid rising internal tensions in the cartel. His death marked a sensitive moment for the Guzmán family and added to internal fractures within the Sinaloa Cartel. Édgar was the brother of Ovidio Guzmán and Joaquín Guzmán López, both of whom are currently imprisoned in the United States.
Years later, Chávez Jr. found himself playing a paternal role for Frida Sofía, who pursued a career in regional Mexican music and stayed clear of the world of drug trafficking—unlike her uncles and grandfather. Over time, Chávez Jr. remained active on social media and in public appearances, never having been directly linked to any criminal activity or the Sinaloa Cartel. Despite the family ties of his stepdaughter, he has maintained a public image focused on his personal and professional life.
His father, Julio César Chávez, has spoken openly about his connections to drug traffickers, acknowledging friendships with both El Chapo and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. In an interview, he said: “I know El Mayo and El Chapo Guzmán personally. I know them all. I’ve spent my whole life in Culiacán, Sinaloa, which produced some of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world, but also the greatest Mexican fighter of all time.” However, he clarified in the same interview: “It’s one thing to know them, and another to do business with them. I was never involved in drug trafficking, because I never needed to be.”