The University of Florida international student arrested near campus and sent to an immigration detention center has returned to Colombia, according to a new statement from his mother there.
Felipe Zapata Velásquez, 27, was arrested March 28 for driving with a U.S. driver’s license that had been suspended since January 2024 and with an outdated vehicle registration. He was taken to Jacksonville by federal immigration agents after his arrest and told he could await his case’s resolution in jail in the United States or sign his self-deportation and return to Colombia, according to an interview on April 2 with his mother, Claudia Velásquez, by NTN24.
Zapata Velásquez chose to remain in the U.S. and was sent to Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami within days of his arrest, his mother said. Now he is back in Colombia, according to a new statement from her.
“I am pleased to inform that my son has returned to the country (Colombia) – from Miami. However, his immigration and academic situation with the University of Florida has not yet been resolved,” said her statement in Spanish. “We are confident that he will be able to count on the necessary support to complete his professional training.”
Zapata Velásquez, a junior studying food and resource economics, told officers during his traffic stop that he was an international student in the process of renewing his F-1 visa after transferring from Santa Fe College to UF. Zapata Velásquez had lived in Florida for four years, according to court documents.
He was previously ticketed in December 2023 for an expired registration and driving without a valid license, and never paid the traffic fines, court records showed. That resulted in authorities in Florida suspending his U.S. driver’s license.
Separately, an Alachua County sheriff’s deputy also had ticketed Zapata Velásquez in August 2021 for driving 75 mph in a 45 mph zone. He pleaded no contest in court and was charged $349 but never paid the fine – resulting in court officials suspending the Colombian driver’s license he had been using, according to court records.
University spokeswoman Cynthia Roldán said federal student privacy laws prevented her from discussing details about Zapata Velásquez’s case.
The mother’s statement said Zapata Velásquez had returned to Colombia but did not specify whether he had signed his self-deportation paperwork. The Colombia consulate’s office in Orlando did not return phone messages Tuesday or Wednesday.
“At this moment, Felipe is in a process of physical and emotional recovery, and we are prioritizing his well-being and overall health,” his mother said. “I sincerely appreciate the interest, solidarity and support that many have expressed regarding my son’s situation.”
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Zapata Velásquez’s mother also did not specify when exactly he had returned to Colombia. She told NTN24 that he was in custody in Miami on April 2, and he did not appear in the government’s database of immigrants in ICE’s custody as recently as Monday. Zapata Velásquez’s family did not immediately return phone messages or texts on Tuesday.
Zapata Velásquez’s arrest and detention garnered attention throughout the state. Several lawmakers, including Florida Rep. Yvonne Hinson, D-Gainesville, and U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, whose district is in central Florida, condemned Zapata Velásquez’s detention by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Zapata Velásquez’s mother said it is unclear whether her son will be allowed to return to the U.S. after his arrest.
“We are awaiting answers from the competent authorities, through the lawyer representing him, who has recommended not to make any public statements for the time being,” her statement read.
The Gainesville police officers who ticketed and arrested Zapata Velásquez discussed whether the case would prevent Zapata Velásquez from lawfully remaining in the United States, according to video from their police body cameras.
“There goes his ability to get another visa, though,” officer Tyler Allen told his colleague during the traffic stop.
Zapata Velásquez’s traffic case is still open in Alachua County. He was initially stopped because his registration expired in July 2024, and officers discovered he had been knowingly driving with a suspended license since early 2024.
This story was produced by Fresh Take Florida, a news service of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The reporter can be reached at blunardini@ufl.edu.
