Former agent asks US immigration officials to detain mother in custody battle
On the evening of Wednesday, former modeling and presidential special envoy Paolo Zampolli approached a top ICE official with an unusual request during his ongoing legal dispute regarding visitation rights to his child in Italy; he asked that immigration authorities detain the mother so they could secure custody for himself according to The New York Times investigation.
Key Points
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1Paolo Zampolli, identified as Donald and Melania Trump's longtime friend, requested that an Immigration Customs Enforcement official detain the mother of his son to assist in a custody battle.
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2According to The New York Times investigation found on March 20th involving Paolo Zampolli
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3Zampolli told ICE officials he believed detaining the child's parent would help him win legal rights over their son.
Developments
Perspectives
Paolo Zampolli, who is described as both Donald and Melania Trump's longtime friend in one report but a former modelling agent turned presidential special envoy in another
— [Mar 20, 15:34] [Nzherald.co.nz], The New York TimesZampolli asked an ICE official to have the mother of his son detained because he believed it would help him win a custody battle over their child.
— (NYTimes)Paolo Zampolli contacted ICE official David Venturella in June 2024 requesting that Amanda Ungaro be detained and deported so he could regain custody of their teenage son from a Brazilian ex-girlfriend. Although her deportation likely would have occurred regardless, the interaction highlights how individuals close to President Trump are using federal government agencies for personal family disputes during his administration's second term in office.
Paolo Zampolli requested assistance from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer regarding his son's detention, citing the need for support during a family court custody battle as reported by The New York Times. An ICE official agreed to help with this request after being approached directly by Mr. Zampolli through personal connections involving Donald Trump.