Colombia Football Federation president Ramón Jesurún and his son, Ramón Jamil Jesurún, are facing battery charges on a specified official or employee after being arrested by Miami-Dade police at Hard Rock Stadium following the 2024 Copa América final.
The two men were booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center just after 4:10 a.m. Monday, according to jail records. The father, 71, and son, 43, are accused of fighting multiple security guards at one of the stadium’s tunnels used for the media as they tried to gain access to the field, according to the arrest report.
Jesurún and his son posted bond and left the Miami-Dade facility after appearing in front of a judge Monday afternoon. The judge set bond at $2,000 for the president of the Colombia federation and $1,000 for his son.
Colombia lost the final 1-0 to Argentina after extra time in a game that was marred by crowd chaos in the run-up, forcing the kickoff to be delayed. Miami-Dade police reported on Monday that there were 27 arrests and 55 ejections on Sunday after people without tickets had forced their way into Hard Rock Stadium.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also told ESPN that it responded to a total of 120 incidents at the stadium Sunday, 116 of which were medical related.
The police report goes on to say that the altercation with the Jesurúns turned physical once the security officer asked the men to step back by placing his palm on Ramón Jamil to “guide him back.” According to the officer, the duo quickly “became irate” at a guard and began “shouting” at him.
In addition to being the Colombia Football Federation (FCF) president, the 71-year-old Jesurún also serves on the FIFA Council, the “strategic and oversight body” for soccer’s global governing body.
On Tuesday, FCF blamed private security inside the Hard Rock Stadium for the incident, but also apologised to organizers after chaotic scenes.
“Employees of the private security of the stadium prevented timely and direct access to the field to most members of the Colombian delegation, despite being duly identified with the official badge of the organization,” the FCF said in a statement.
The FCF added that tensions ran high when they were not let through. According to police, Jesurún’s son grabbed the guard by the neck and pulled him to the ground, where he punched him and kicked him in the head.
“Ramon Jesurún, driven by his paternal instinct… rushed to complain about what happened but ended up overwhelmed by the situation, as he was in the corridor with his wife, sons, daughters and minor grandchildren,” the FCF said.
“As the governing body of Colombian football, we regret this event and offer our apologies to the organizers of the tournament, the host country and the people who were affected.
“For his part, president Jesurún deeply regrets these events, which should never have happened and which resulted in a paternal and instinctive move to protect his son and his family.”
It was a chaotic scene just hours before the scheduled 8 p.m. start of the championship match between the two South American countries: Fans forced their way in, jumped over security railings and ran past police officers and stadium attendants, with some fans appearing hysterical as they searched for the people they arrived with.
“Last night our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to handle an extremely challenging, dangerous situation posing life safety concerns for attendees,” James Reyes, the chief of public safety for Miami-Dade County, said in a statement.
“We are working with the event organizers to conduct a comprehensive review of all safety and security protocols, as we continue to prepare for the World Cup in 2026.”
There appeared to be significant damage to the venue. Video and images posted to social media showed the shattered side railings of an escalator inside the stadium, with shoes, soda cans, reading glasses and articles of clothing left behind. Security railings at a checkpoint in the southwest entrance to the stadium were bent over as thousands of people, including crying children, pushed against them.
The department said more than 800 law enforcement officers were at the event.
Later Monday, CONMEBOL issued a statement distancing itself from the chaos ahead of the final, pointing a finger at “Hard Rock Stadium authorities,” whom it said failed to heed the soccer governing body’s advice in preparing for an event of this magnitude.
“Yesterday, the most challenging tournament in history organized by CONMEBOL together with Concacaf concluded, reaching record figures in venues, attendance, audience, and staff dedicated to its organization, with more than 42,000 collaborators,” read the statement.
“As it is already known, during the final held in Miami, fans without tickets went to the stadium’s vicinity, which delayed the normal access of people who did have tickets, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations.
“We regret that the acts of violence caused by malicious individuals have tarnished a final that was ready to be a great sports celebration.”
Hard Rock Stadium did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its security plans but said in an earlier statement that it had “more than double” the personnel Sunday than at a typical capacity event. The stadium has a capacity of over 65,000.
“We understand there are disappointed ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed, and we will work in partnership with CONMEBOL to address those individual concerns,” it said.
“Ultimately, there is nothing more important than the health and safety of all guests and staff.”
ESPN writer Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was also used.
