Miami-Dade police arrested 27 people following a chaotic incident at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, according to a statement.
The scene turned chaotic just hours before the 8 p.m. 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, some appearing frantic as they searched for their companions.
Among the most notable arrests was Ramón Jesurún, the 71-year-old president of Colombian soccer. Police also arrested his son; both men are accused of attacking multiple security guards at Hard Rock Stadium.
Ramón Jesurún has been president of the Colombian soccer federation since 2015 and is a vice president of CONMEBOL, South America’s governing soccer body that organizes the Copa America tournament.
Chaos ‘tarnished’ the event
In a statement released Monday, CONMEBOL said it regrets the scene in which countless fans entered the stadium without tickets and “tarnished” the event. The game was delayed for more than an hour, and as a result, authorities decided to let fans in without going through security checkpoints.
“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,” the organization said. “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.”
Miami-Dade police said over 800 law enforcement officers were at the match. In addition to the arrests, 55 people were ejected, they said.
Hard Rock Stadium released a statement on Sunday, saying:
“We are grateful to the law enforcement officers who managed a difficult situation and prioritized the safety of the venue, the players, their families and the fans. We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
The stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which is home to the NFL’s Dolphins, will be the site of seven World Cup matches in 2026, including a quarterfinal and third-place match.
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Associated Press contributed reporting.
