Ramón Jesurún, the president of the Colombian Football Federation and a vice president with CONMEBOL, was arrested in Miami Gardens, alongside his son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, following an incident at the Copa America soccer tournament final. According to Local 10 News, both are facing serious charges including three felony counts of battery on a specified official or employee after the conclusion of the match where Colombia was defeated by Argentina 1-0.
Just after their national team lost, Jesurún and his son were booked at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early yesterday morning, following events unfolding at around 12:20 a.m. that same day. Having become irate at a security guard, the duo were involved in a physical altercation after being asked to step back from a tunnel that was gathering media attention, as CBS Sports reports. Ramón Jamil Jesurún, reacting to a palm placed on his chest by the guard, was then pushed by his father toward the guard, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department arrest report.
The situation escalated to the point where both men engaged in physical combat with security guards attempting to resolve the confrontation. Video evidence of the brawl was shared by Colombian media outlet Publimetro through Fox Sports Mexico, capturing the chaos that ensued. The younger Jesurún, who faces the same charges as his father, as well as an additional misdemeanor battery charge, appeared in Miami-Dade bond court with a stay away order being set in the victim’s favor.
Preceding the fracas involving the Jesurún family, disorder had already marred the event with ticketless fans disrupting the entrance protocols two hours before the original kick-off time set for 8 p.m. on Sunday. Fans not holding tickets breached security, compelling stadium staff to close the gates and later reopen them to allow fans entry without checking tickets, leading to an overcrowded venue. This prompted a lockdown and a delay in the game's kickoff, a havoc-ridden prelude to Colombia's heartbreaking loss in the final which ended with a golden goal by Argentina's Lautaro Martinez in the 112th minute.
