Joe Sanchez demands independent review of James Reyes’ role in ‘very dangerous’ Copa América debacle

Images via the candidates.

One day after calling on him to take a leave of absence following the Copa América Final chaos at Hard Rock Stadium, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Sanchez is demanding a probe into county Public Safety Chief James Reyes’ role in the debacle.

Sanchez, a former Miami City Commissioner, released a statement asking Miami-Dade Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert to conduct an independent review of Reyes, whom Sanchez hopes to defeat for Sheriff in November.

Gilbert is the immediate past Mayor of Miami Gardens, where the stadium is.

“After last night’s very dangerous situation, it is clear that Mayor (Daniella) Levine Cava’s Director of Public Safety is not up to the task of leading the brave men and women of the Miami-Dade Police Department,” Sanchez said.

“He lacks the experience, the capacity and the leadership skills. Our community needs to know how the incidents that took place last night caught Director Reyes by surprise, and why his response was too little, too late.”

Sanchez, who again mistitled Reyes as Director rather than Chief of Public Safety, requested that Gilbert convene an independent panel to determine Reyes’ responsibility and “prepare an after action review with recommendations (for) the new Sheriff.”

“Miami-Dade residents need a Director of Public Safety that will dedicate their time to protecting them, not looking out for their boss,” Sanchez said.

Levine Cava’s Office said the Miami-Dade Police Department assigned “over 550 officers” to the stadium to handle a sellout crowd of more than 65,000 ticket holders and other non-ticketed people who amassed outside the stadium, but noted that security responsibilities for the event also fell to Copa América organization, CONMEBOL, and “other law enforcement agencies.”

Video footage captured the result of ample security failures at the venue, including fans scaling the stadium’s walls, climbing into windows and the structure’s ventilation system to gain access, and getting arrested. A police officer told USA Today at least 10-15 people were taken into custody.

Many others, including journalists, were detained or forcibly removed from the stadium. By then, some fans had done significant damage to the stadium, including the escalator and entrance at the 72 Club.

The bedlam delayed the game between Argentina and Colombia by more than an hour and raised questions about whether Miami-Dade could handle the seven 2026 World Cup games Hard Rock Stadium is slated to host.

“We are outraged by the unprecedented events at tonight’s Copa América finals,” Levine Cava and Reyes said in a joint statement. “Let’s be clear: This situation should never have taken place and cannot happen again. We will work with stadium leadership to ensure that a full review of tonight’s events takes place immediately to evaluate the full chain of events, in order to put in place needed protocols and policies for all future games.”

That promise was insufficient for Sanchez, who said Reyes should take a leave of absence. Sanchez did so in January, when he entered the race to become Miami-Dade’s first elected Sheriff since the 1960s, and encouraged candidates to do the same so they wouldn’t be campaigning “while on the taxpayers’ dime.”

Reyes, a longtime director of Broward County prisons whom Levine Cava recruited to work in her administration last year, clapped back with a short statement from his campaign adviser, Kayla vanWieringen, referencing Sanchez’s support as Miami Commissioner of a 2009 bond plan to build the Miami Marlins ballpark, now estimated to cost taxpayers more than $2.6 billion.

“It’s richly ironic that the deciding vote in the disastrous stadium deal that fleeced taxpayers is politicizing public safety when he still owes Miami-Dade voters an apology for his reckless vote record,” the statement said. “Chief Reyes held numerous onsite security briefings with the CONMEBOL event organizers and stadium staff. He remains solely focused on maintaining public safety and keeping patrons safe.”

Reyes’ campaign has yet to respond to Sanchez’s latest salvo.

Reyes is one of four Democrats running for Sheriff. His Primary opponents include Miami-Dade Police Maj. John Barrow, former federal agent Susan Khoury and retired Miami-Dade Police Lt. Rickey Mitchell.

Eleven Republicans are currently listed as running: Sanchez, Iggy Alvarez, Jose Aragu, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Ruamen DelaRua, Alex Fornet, Jeffrey Giordano, Mario Knapp, Joe Martinez, John Rivera and Ernie Rodriguez.

All are current or former law enforcement professionals.

The Primary is on Aug. 20, followed by the General Election on Nov. 5.