36 year-old Puerto Rican boxer Ivan Calderon has made a few appearances on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights over the years but if you’re not a boxing fan you may be unfamiliar with him. After hearing that a house he owns was recently raided by federal agents, who left with $4 million worth of cocaine, the name may stick in your memory for a bit.
Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Laila Rico says 225 kilograms of cocaine were found when agents raided the house in the coastal town of Humacao.
Calderon issued a statement Wednesday to WAPA-TV in Puerto Rico denying any knowledge of the drugs. The boxer says the house was one of a number of investment properties he owns and he was not aware of any illegal activities there.
The house was raided earlier this week following the arrest of an alleged Puerto Rican trafficker who has been charged in Miami with smuggling cocaine into the U.S. through the Dominican Republic.
Calderon (35-2-1 6 KO) recently defeated Felipe Rivas to claim the vacant WBO Latino Minimumweight title. He’s also held the WBO Light Flyweight belt. Calderon’s first defeat came to Giovani Segura in Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year for 2010. He also lost the rematch earlier this year. Calderon has a decent shot at induction into boxing’s Hall of Fame. His victory against Jesus Iribe last year was his 6th successful defense of the Light Flyweight belt and he’s retained titles 18 times successfully during his career.
