A prominent Colombian activist who lived in the United States for over a decade has been forced to leave the country following a 30-day immigration detention. The arrest of 40-year-old Beto Coral came immediately after he publicly campaigned in Florida against Abelardo de la Espriella, a far-right, Donald Trump-aligned Colombian presidential candidate.
Coral, whose full name is Franklin Humberto Coral Garrido, traveled to Florida in the week leading up to Colombia’s presidential election to urge fellow expatriates not to support De la Espriella. Outside polling stations in Miami, Coral held banners warning that the millionaire lawyer, who had received an endorsement from Trump, would "help deport all of you."
The day after the demonstration, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a memo to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rubio alleged that Coral was using his presence in the US "to conduct political activity" against a Colombian presidential candidate and suggested that DHS "facilitate his departure." Rubio also accused Coral of using US courts to target the candidate "on behalf of the Petro government."
Coral was arrested on the afternoon of June 16 while returning from a supermarket with his 12-year-old son. He spent the next 30 days in custody, during which he was transferred six times across facilities in four states. Coral alleges he was subjected to severe mistreatment, including being assaulted, kicked, shoved against walls by ICE officers, and deprived of food and water during long transfers. He estimates he spent 24 of his 30 days in solitary confinement.
A DHS spokesperson did not address the allegations of abuse, instead releasing a statement that characterized Coral as "an illegal alien" who had "overstayed his visa for 10 years" in violation of US laws.
However, Coral’s attorney, Elizabeth Shaw, and Coral himself noted that he had maintained legal status and a valid work permit while awaiting a decision on his political asylum application, which was filed in March 2016. Coral had originally entered the US on a tourist visa in December 2015 after fleeing Colombia due to death threats. The threats followed his investigation into the murder of his father, Humberto Coral Caballero, a police captain who participated in the 1993 US-backed operation that killed drug lord Pablo Escobar and was murdered months later. While in the US, Coral worked as a YouTuber and activist, alongside jobs driving for Uber, working in construction, cooking, waiting tables, and baking.
The arrest occurred amid public exchanges suggesting coordination. In early June, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned on social media that those attempting to manipulate Colombia's democratic process risked their visas, signing off as "El Quitavisas" (the visa taker). De la Espriella replied, "I have the list, dear deputy secretary." On the morning of June 16, De la Espriella posted a teaser on social media promising "good news for Colombia" alongside an AI-generated image of "El Quitavisas" projected in the sky. Coral was arrested that afternoon.
De la Espriella, who has since won the election and was sworn in earlier this month to succeed left-wing President Gustavo Petro, had a history of legal disputes with Coral. He previously represented former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez in a Florida defamation lawsuit against Coral, which the activist lost. In May, Coral also filed an FBI complaint alleging De la Espriella had tried to blackmail him using a secretly recorded phone call.
On June 23, nine Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to Rubio demanding Coral's immediate release, arguing the detention violated his human rights and free speech. Coral was eventually released in mid-July after his lawyer negotiated a voluntary departure agreement. Shaw argued that the incoming De la Espriella administration posed "an open, real, and substantial threat" to Coral’s life, making it vital to secure his release before the inauguration.
Coral briefly returned to Colombia, where he warned Petro that "he could be the next" target of US arrest, before leaving the country for an undisclosed location. Reflecting on his ordeal, Coral expressed disbelief that Rubio, a Latino son of Cuban immigrants, would oversee his persecution, and concluded that the US is now "the worst place in the world for any immigrant."
