The federal trial of former Miami congressman David Rivera began Monday, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected to testify about his interactions with the longtime political ally accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela’s government during the first Trump administration.
Prosecutors allege Rivera acted as a covert representative for the administration of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, using political connections from his time in Congress to push the White House to soften its stance toward Venezuela’s socialist government.
According to the indictment, Rivera convinced then–Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, who now serves as the country’s acting president, to award him a $50 million lobbying contract paid through state oil giant PDVSA. Authorities say the agreement was part of a broader influence campaign aimed at opening political channels in Washington.
Prosecutors claim Rivera worked with Texas Republican Representative Pete Sessions and a convicted associate of Colombia’s Cali drug cartel to arrange meetings with U.S. officials and executives at Exxon Mobil in an effort to promote Maduro’s interests.
“This case is about two things: greed and betrayal,” prosecutor Roger Cruz told jurors during opening statements. “The evidence will show that for $50 million these two defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro and his second in command Delcy Rodríguez.”
Rivera, 60, has denied wrongdoing. His legal team argues that his consulting firm, Interamerican Consulting, was hired by a U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela’s state oil company rather than PDVSA itself, meaning the work did not require registration under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
His attorneys say the three-month $50 million contract was focused on encouraging Exxon Mobil to return to Venezuela, which they described as a commercial initiative rather than political lobbying.
“This is like a murder case without a murder, a drugs case without drugs, a kidnapping case without a kidnapping,” Rivera’s defense attorney Ed Shohat told the jury. “Nothing happened. Not one single policy of the U.S. was impacted by this case.”
The 11-count indictment, first unsealed in 2022, charges Rivera and Miami political consultant Esther Nuhfer with money laundering and failing to register as foreign agents.
Prosecutors allege Rivera coordinated communications through an encrypted chat group named “MIA,” short for Miami, where members used coded language to discuss their activities. According to court filings, Maduro was referred to as the “bus driver,” Sessions as “Sombrero,” Rodríguez as “The Lady in Red,” and millions of dollars as “melons.”
Rubio’s testimony is expected to draw significant attention. It is rare for a sitting U.S. cabinet member to testify in a criminal trial, something that has not happened since a 1983 case involving former U.S. Labour Secretary Raymond Donovan.
While Rubio has not been accused of wrongdoing, prosecutors say Rivera considered the senator a key ally in his efforts to influence the Trump administration’s Venezuela policy.
Court documents state Rivera met Rubio at the senator’s Washington home in July 2017, telling him he was working with Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who allegedly convinced Maduro to consider a deal involving free and fair elections.
Two days later, Rivera reportedly texted Rubio ahead of the senator’s meeting with President Donald Trump, urging the United States to facilitate negotiations with Venezuela.
After a second meeting involving Rubio, Rivera and Gorrín, prosecutors say Rivera wrote in the encrypted chat that Maduro would need to pay him for arranging the meeting, adding that without Rubio’s support there would be “no turkey.”
The outreach ultimately collapsed when Trump imposed sanctions on Maduro later that month and labeled him a dictator as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign against the Venezuelan government.
Rubio later delivered a televised message directed at Maduro that aired on Venezuelan television, warning the Venezuelan leader that his path would “not end well.”
The indictment also details attempts by Rivera and his associates to arrange meetings between Rodríguez and Exxon Mobil executives in hopes of resolving long-running investment disputes and encouraging the company to return to Venezuela’s struggling oil sector.
Although a meeting with Exxon CEO Darren Woods was pursued, company lawyers ultimately declined the request.
Rivera previously served in Congress after being elected in 2010 and was earlier a senior member of Florida’s state legislature. During that time he shared a residence in Tallahassee with Rubio, who later became speaker of the Florida House.
The former congressman has faced multiple past investigations, including allegations involving campaign finance violations and a controversial contract with a gambling company while serving in state office. Rivera has consistently denied wrongdoing and described those investigations as politically motivated.