Trump Admin Responds After Colombian President's Ally Detained by ICE

The Trump administration on Wednesday defended the detention of a Colombian activist closely aligned with leftist President Gustavo Petro, after Petro accused U.S. immigration agents of carrying out a politically motivated arrest.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek that Franklin Humberto Coral-Garrido, known publicly as Beto Coral, entered the United States in December 2015 on a B1/B2 visa permitting a six-month stay and remained in the country for a decade afterward.

“On June 16, ICE arrested Franklin Humberto Coral-Garrido, an illegal alien from Colombia,” the spokesperson said. “Coral-Garrido entered the country in December 2015 on a B1/B2 visa that would allow him to stay in the country for six months. In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his visa for 10 years. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”

The spokesperson said Coral-Garrido could avoid prolonged detention by using the CBP Home App to arrange his own departure.

“Being in detention is a choice,” the spokesperson said. “We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

Republican Senator Bernie Moreno addressed the case directly on X, writing that Coral-Garrido could not claim asylum in the United States while acting against the government’s interests.

“You can’t come to the United States, claim asylum, and then act as a foreign agent to that very government while simultaneously undermining our foreign policy,” Moreno wrote. “Have a nice life back in Colombia Beto!”

Who Is Beto Coral?

Coral-Garrido, a lawyer and activist born in Medellin, is the son of a Colombian police captain killed months after participating in the operation that tracked down drug lord Pablo Escobar. He has written a book about his father’s death and built a following of tens of thousands on X and YouTube as a vocal supporter of Petro and the governing Historic Pact movement.

The Colombian activist lived in Arizona, where he drove for Uber, and traveled to Miami last week. According to Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell, Coral-Garrido was in Florida for two reasons: to file a lawsuit against presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and to campaign against de la Espriella’s candidacy, including by flying a banner over Miami accusing de la Espriella and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of robbing Venezuela.

Petro confirmed the detention during a cabinet meeting Tuesday night and ordered Colombia’s Foreign Ministry to seek Coral-Garrido’s release, calling the arrest “political persecution.” Petro said the United States had previously granted Coral-Garrido asylum and suggested the case was tied to Colombia’s presidential runoff election.

“The Foreign Ministry has to demand his freedom, because this is a political persecution fabricated by the candidate of the United States, a citizen of the United States, and the victim a citizen of Colombia,” Petro said, an apparent reference to presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who has received public backing from Trump ahead of the runoff.

When Are the Colombian Elections?

Colombia’s presidential runoff is scheduled for June 21. De la Espriella, a criminal defense lawyer running as a right-wing outsider, finished first in the May 31 first round with 43.7 percent of the vote, ahead of Cepeda’s 40.9 percent. Because neither candidate cleared 50 percent, the two advanced to the runoff.

De la Espriella has campaigned on closer alignment with the Trump administration on security and counternarcotics policy, while Cepeda, a senator and Petro’s preferred successor, has called for a more independent foreign policy. The winner is set to be inaugurated on August 7, succeeding Petro, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second term.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 4:10 PM.