Copa América: Colombian Soccer President Arrested After Loss to Argentina in Chaotic Final
The president of the Colombian Football Federation, Ramón Jesurún, was arrested early Monday morning following Colombia's loss to Argentina in the Copa América final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Jesurún, who also serves as a CONMEBOL vice president and is a member of the FIFA council, was taken into custody with his son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, at approximately 12:20 a.m. Both Jesurún, 71, and his 43-year-old son were accused of engaging in a physical altercation with multiple security guards inside the stadium after the match.
According to WPLG, the incident began when Jesurún and his son "became irate" at a security guard inside a tunnel at the stadium. They reportedly started "shouting" when denied passage. The situation escalated physically, with Jesurún allegedly pushing the guard. His son then purportedly grabbed the guard's neck and punched him, leading to further involvement from several security officers.
Footage of the altercation was shared on social media by Fox Sports Mexico.
Both men were booked into a local jail around 4:15 a.m. Monday and charged with three counts of battery against a specified official or employee, as reported by the Miami Herald.
The incident with Jesurún was part of a broader series of disruptions during Argentina's 1-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday night. At least 27 individuals were arrested, and 55 were ejected from the stadium due to ticketless fans breaching security barriers, scaling walls and fences, and attempting entry through a vent. These disturbances delayed the game by nearly 90 minutes.
Hard Rock Stadium issued a statement noting "numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium." The event was organized by CONMEBOL, the South American soccer confederation.
Argentina secured its second consecutive Copa América title with a goal from Lautaro Martinez in the 112th minute, marking the country's 16th Copa América title and adding to its recent World Cup victory in 2022.
