Colombia soccer federation head and son arrested after Copa America final

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July 15, 2024 5:02 PM EDT

FILE PHOTO: President of Colombia's soccer league governing body Dimayor Jorge Perdomo (L) and President of Colombia's Football Federation Ramon Jesurun talk during a meeting at the South American Football confederation CONMEBOL in Luque, Paraguay, Januar

BOGOTA (Reuters) -The 71-year-old head of Colombia's soccer federation and his son were arrested in Miami, accused of fighting security guards after the Copa America final that saw chaotic scenes around the stadium, Miami-Dade police confirmed on Monday.

Sunday's final, which Colombia lost to Argentina, started over an hour late after police initiated a lockdown that left hundreds of fans stuck outside Florida's Hard Rock Stadium. Videos on social media showed security scuffling with fans attempting to breach the gates.

Both Ramon Jeserun, the federation president, and his 43-year-old son Ramon Jamil were arrested after an altercation at the stadium shortly after midnight, according to arrest reports by Miami police, which charged both men with battery.

Jeserun and his son were charged after fighting security guards in a tunnel where media were gathering in the aftermath of the match, according to the police reports.

This included a uniformed security guard tasked with holding back the crowd. According to police, Jeserun's son grabbed the guard by the neck and pulled him to the ground, where he punched him and kicked him in the head.

The Colombian soccer federation declined to comment.

More than two dozen fans were arrested at Sunday's Copa America final and over 50 people were kicked out from the venue, at which over 800 law enforcement officers were present.

It was the second time the U.S. has hosted the Americas' most important national team soccer tournament, founded over a century ago.

In a statement on Monday, the Hard Rock Stadium said it had prepared for the match by increasing the number of law enforcement officers and security, with "more than double the personnel than a typical at-capacity stadium event."

After gates were closed and reopened, the venue said, "fans continued to engage in illegal conduct - fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to property."

The stadium has a capacity of over 65,000 and is scheduled to host seven matches at the 2026 World Cup.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Luis Jaime Acosta in Bogota, Amy Tennery in New York and Kylie Madry in Buenos Aires; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)


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