Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent and special envoy to President Donald Trump, contacted a senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in June 2025 requesting that his Brazilian ex-girlfriend, Amanda Ungaro, be placed in immigration custody while she was being held in a Miami jail on fraud charges. Zampolli and Ungaro were locked in a custody battle over their teenage son.
According to a New York Times investigation based on records and sources with knowledge of the communications, Zampolli reached out to David Venturella, a top ICE official, telling him that Ungaro was in the country illegally and that her immigration detention would help him gain custody of their child. Venturella promptly called ICE's Miami field office to arrange for agents to pick up Ungaro before she could be released on bail. During the call, Venturella noted the case was important to someone close to the White House.
Ungaro had been arrested alongside her current husband at a medical spa in Aventura, Florida, where both faced charges of fraud and practicing medicine without a license. Her husband, who held a green card, was quickly released on bail. Ungaro, whose last temporary visa had expired in 2019, had no lawful immigration status.
She was transferred to ICE custody and ultimately deported to Brazil. Sources familiar with the case told the Times that the deportation likely would have occurred without Zampolli's intervention, as Ungaro had already been flagged for immigration detention. However, ICE policies allow for discretion in cases involving minors, and some detainees in Florida have been released with ankle monitors due to overcrowded detention facilities.
Zampolli, 56, currently holds the title of special representative of the president for global partnerships, a largely ceremonial role. He is credited with introducing Trump to First Lady Melania Trump in 1998. In an interview, Zampolli denied requesting Ungaro's detention or seeking any favors, saying he had only asked about the process.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Ungaro was detained and deported because her visa had long expired and she faced fraud charges. “Any suggestion that she was arrested and removed for political reasons or favors is FALSE,” the department said. A spokesperson for Melania Trump said the first lady has no knowledge of, nor involvement in, the personal affairs of Zampolli and Ungaro.
Zampolli's name appears multiple times in recently released Epstein case documents published by the Department of Justice. He told the Times he did not have a close relationship with the late financier.CompartirContenido del proyectoMercoPressCreado por tiAgrega PDF, documentos u otro texto para consultar en este proyecto.
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