According to an arrest affidavit, the president of the Colombian Football Federation and his son were arrested by Miami-Dade County police early Monday morning following chaos at the Copa America final in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday night.
According to an arrest affidavit, Ramon Jesulun, who is also CONMEBOL vice president and has been a member of the FIFA Council since 2016, and his son, Ramon Jamil Jesulun, were arrested around 12:30 a.m. ET on Monday and charged with three counts of felony assault on a public servant.
According to arrest warrants, the two suspects are accused of fighting with security guards around 12:20 a.m. Monday near a tunnel where reporters were gathered.
The incident occurred after the Copa America final. Columbia and ArgentinaLionel Scaloni’s team won 1-0 after extra time.
According to an arrest affidavit, Ramon Jesulun, 71, and Ramon Jamil Jesulun, 43, were stopped by security as they tried to enter the tunnel area of the stadium where media gathered after the game. The argument escalated into violence when an officer “applied a slap to (Ramon Jamil Jesulun’s) chest and attempted to pull him back,” according to the affidavit, after which Ramon Jamil Jesulun “grabbed the officer by the neck” and pulled him to the ground. Ramon Jamil Jesulun “struck two punches” at the officer, then “delivered a direct kick” to the head of the officer as he lay on the ground, according to the affidavit.
Jesulun and Ramon Jamil Jesulun According to prison records, the suspect was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at about 4:15 a.m. on Monday, just hours after the loss to Argentina.
The Colombian Football Federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia has been postponed due to unrest outside Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Thousands of supporters were prevented from entering, many of them trying to enter without tickets, which led to the security gates being closed at around 6pm. Kick-off was initially postponed to 8.30pm and then further delayed until 9.22pm.
Security at the Copa America. One gate opens in the southwest corner 90 minutes before kickoff. Thousands of very enthusiastic fans are there. It’s a problem waiting to happen. Not good. pic.twitter.com/glEgYV2VAG
— Jack Lang (@jacklang) July 14, 2024
The incident caused significant property damage, injury to stadium staff, police officers, and innocent spectators. A statement from Miami-Dade County confirmed that 27 people were arrested and 55 people were removed from the stadium grounds.
“Last night, our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to address an extremely challenging and dangerous situation that threatened the life safety of our participants. We thank the Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and our partner agencies for their collaborative efforts to keep our fans and community safe and prevent a major incident,” said Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes. “We are working with event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols as we continue to prepare for the 2026 World Cup.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Stephanie V. Daniels added, “I am extremely proud of our county police officers’ response to a volatile situation and their hard work to keep our community safe, as well as our law enforcement partners who provided critical support.”
“As part of our thorough analysis of last night’s match, we will review the protocols we have in place to ensure an orderly, safe and secure environment at all future events.”
Multiple arrests were made on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and trespassing. As temperatures reached 88 degrees Fahrenheit, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue set up a station inside the gates to help people suffering from heatstroke.
Talk to your fans Athletic They blamed mismanagement by South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL for the poor management of the tournament. Authorities, including Miami-Dade police, cited “disorderly behavior” as the cause of the chaos, while stadium organizers stressed the need for ticket holder safety and controlled attendance.
“Given the situation, CONMEBOL has decided to abide by the decision of the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, in accordance with its contractual responsibilities regarding security operations. In addition to the provisions set out in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities procedures that have been proven in events of this magnitude, but which were not taken into account,” the federation said in a statement on its website. “We regret that what should have been a great celebration of sport has been marred by violent acts committed by malicious individuals.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levin Cava later condemned the incident in a joint statement with Reyes and promised a thorough investigation into its cause.
Going deeper
Copa America final kickoff delayed due to fans having difficulty getting into stadium
(Photo by Ramon Jesulun: Andres Lotto/ FIFA (via Getty Images)
