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Colombia FA President arrested after illegal entry during Copa America 2024 final

Colombia Football Federation President was sent to prison after he and his son attacked security guards and tried to enter the Copa America 2024 final illegally.

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Saatvik Oberoi
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According to authorities on Monday, the Copa America 2024 final involving Argentina and Colombia resulted in crowd control incidents that resulted in the arrest of 27 persons, including the president of the Colombian football organization and his son. 

According to Miami-Dade police investigator Andre Martin, Ramon Jamil Jesurun and his son Ramon Jamil Jesurun have been taken into custody and charged following the event at Hard Rock Stadium, as reported by The Associated Press. Both males are suspected of battling several stadium security guards, and they are now being prosecuted on three separate counts of felony violence on an official. 

According to arrest papers, both father and son attempted to enter the field using a tunnel where reporters had been gathering following the game. Security stopped them, and according to the police report, they "became irate" about the inconvenience. 

Following a verbal argument that descended into violence, the younger Jesurun grabbed the guard "around his neck" and pulled him to the ground before delivering two blows that struck the guard. The guard then placed an "open palm" on Ramon Jamil Jesurun's neck to "guide him back," according to various reports. After midnight, the both of them were taken into prison and have been there since then.

How did the Colombia FA react to the arrest?

A media request for comment was not immediately answered by Colombia's football federation on Monday. In addition to serving as vice president of CONMEBOL, the organization that oversees South American football and arranges the Copa America competition, Ramon Jesurun, 71, has served as president for the Colombian football association since 2015. 

The group expressed regret for the incident in which numerous spectators entered the arena without tickets, saying it "tarnished" the occasion in a statement issued on Monday. Authorities tried to contain the situation for over an hour before choosing to let some supporters in without passing security checks. This caused the game to be delayed.

The statement read, "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. In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account."

Copa America 2024 Colombia
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