Following reports of Bao's alleged arrest in the US for drug trafficking, the VBF's second term executive board (2023-2028) held an online meeting on September 5th with 25 of its 30 members. The VBF stated it has not received any credible evidence of the arrest and only knows that Bao traveled to the US in February 2025 for family matters. He subsequently had to address personal issues, preventing his return to Vietnam.
"To date, the VBF has not received any official notification from authorities concerning the personal activities of former chairman Luu Tu Bao, either before or during his time outside Vietnam. His personal and criminal records were verified by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism before he ran for the VBF's second term executive board," the VBF's statement said.
According to the federation, Bao will sign a power of attorney authorizing Nguyen Duy Hung, vice chairman and general secretary, to manage VBF operations until March 2026. Until the power of attorney is received, Hung has been authorized by the executive board to lead the organization.
If domestic or international authorities officially conclude that Bao has violated the law, the VBF's standing committee and executive board will convene a meeting to request permission to hold an extraordinary congress to elect a new chairman.
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Luu Tu Bao, chairman of the Vietnam Boxing Federation. Photo: VBF |
Luu Tu Bao, chairman of the Vietnam Boxing Federation. Photo: VBF
Born in 1976, Bao has over 10 years of experience developing boxing and martial arts in Vietnam. He has served as the VBF chairman for the second term since October 15th, 2023. He is also the chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Mixed Martial Arts Federation (HMMAF) and CEO of Saigon Sports Club (SSC), one of Vietnam's earliest professional boxing clubs. In 2023, he received an honorary belt from the World Boxing Association (WBA) for his contributions to the sport.
According to the US news site San Francisco Public Safety News, a man named "Bao Luu," matching Bao's identity, was arrested in California in April and appeared in federal court in San Francisco on an extradition request from Australia.
He is accused of leading and overseeing a transnational criminal organization that operated a drug trafficking ring from Vietnam. Between 2016 and 2017, this group allegedly attempted to smuggle a total of 178 kg of cocaine into Australia. In April 2025, the Melbourne Court issued an arrest warrant for "Bao Luu," which remains active.
US records indicate that the Australian prosecutor possesses numerous messages allegedly from "Bao Luu" to associates, discussing shipments and including images of cocaine bricks. He purportedly used encrypted applications like SkyECC and Cypher Elite, along with various aliases, to communicate with partners and even undercover agents of the Australian Federal Police.
At the San Francisco hearing, defense attorney Jay Rorty stated his client is a US citizen who was arrested upon entry to attend his child's funeral. He also asserted that there is no concrete evidence beyond the accusations from Australia.
Judge Thomas Hixson ordered "Bao Luu" to be held in custody, scheduling the next hearing for August 28th, 2025. The court later set an extradition hearing for January 29th, 2026, after receiving the complete case file from Australia. If extradited and convicted in Australia, "Bao Luu" could face life imprisonment.
Thanh Nhan
