At least 11 illegal migrants among 27 arrested during Copa America chaos as fans rushed Hard Rock Stadium
At least 11 illegal migrants are among the 27 people arrested and accused of taking part in the melee during the COPA America final in Miami, The Post can reveal.
Luis Beltran Martinez and Elkin Mayorga, both Colombian nationals, are among the migrants arrested after fans stormed Hard Rock Stadium Sunday during the tournament final between Colombia and Argentina.
They were both charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and trespassing. Mayorga is also facing charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer with violence.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has a hold on their cases and at least nine others with lesser charges, according to arrest records.
ICE issues a hold on a case when they’re requesting to take migrants into their custody if authorities intend to release them.
Internal Homeland Security documents obtained by The Post show that Mayorga — a Colombian national — crossed the southern border illegally on March 24, 2022 in Yuma, Arizona, and was arrested by border agents.
Three days later, he was released with a tracking device as part of ICE’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program.
However, he had the tracker removed less than a month later for unknown reasons.
During Sunday’s rush on Copa, Mayorga is accused of jumping the turnstiles. He resisted when cops tried to remove him before he attempted to flee, according to local news station NBC6.
Argemiro Rodriguez, a Colombian national who was also arrested in the Copa disaster, crossed the border illegally into Arizona in October 2021 and was released from ICE custody the next month because he was overweight, according to internal Homeland Security documents.
Another Colombian migrant who was arrested at Copa was Dillan Parra Castro, who crossed the southern border illegally into McAllen Texas in July 2021 and was released by ICE two months later, the documents reveal.
Colombian Brandon Poeda was also allegedly part of the mob. He crossed the border illegally in July 2022 into California and was released with a tracking device the next day, according to the internal documents.
Among those arrested was also Colombian football president Ramón Jesurún and his son Ramón Jamil Jesurún, who were allegedly involved in a physical altercation with security guards.
Fans had tried to force themselves into the stadium gates, causing a more than 75 minute delay to the game.
During the rush, people grew increasingly desperate, taking unconventional measures to enter the game — including crawling through air vents and jumping over security railings.
“Last night our law enforcement teams responded swiftly to handle an extremely challenging, dangerous situation posing life safety concerns for attendees,” Chief Public Safety Officer James Reyes said in a statement.
“I am grateful to every single member of MDPD Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation as well as our partner agencies for working together to keep fans and our community safe, preventing any major incidents.”
Even with 800 officers on the ground working to control the situation, the stadium was still ravaged.
