Mike Tyson denied entry to Chile, sent home

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY

Former world heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson was denied entry into Chile on Thursday and sent on a flight home.

The Chilean Investigative Police cited noncompliance with immigration laws as the reason for denying his entry, and posted an image on the department's official Twitter page of Tyson being escorted through the airport.

Tyson's criminal record in the U.S. led to his denial and re-boarding, according the Associated Press. He was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years of a six-year prison sentence before being released on parole in '95. The former boxer, perhaps best known for his 1997 fight when he bit Evander Holyfield's ears, has also been convicted of assault.

The Chilean Investigative Police noted on its Twitter page that it has the power to "prohibit the entry into the country of any foreigner who has negative records and/or convictions in their country of origin."

The 51-year-old Tyson was heading to Santiago to attend an awards ceremony for action films.