Former Miami Republican Congressman David Rivera, a longtime friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, received a 10-year prison sentence Friday for secretly lobbying on behalf of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime in a $50 million influence scheme that betrayed his anti-communist reputation.

Secret Campaign to Influence Trump Administration

Rivera, 61, was convicted in May on charges including failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal prosecutors revealed that Venezuela’s then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez recruited Rivera to use his Republican connections to convince the first Trump administration to abandon sanctions against Venezuela. The scheme operated through a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, with Rivera receiving a three-month, $50 million consulting contract.

Judge Melissa Damian condemned Rivera for betraying his life’s mission, noting the irony that his anti-communist supporters would have harshly judged him had the money come from Cuba’s regime instead of its Venezuelan allies. The seven-week trial exposed Miami’s role as a crossroads for foreign influence campaigns targeting U.S. policy toward Latin America, revealing how the city attracts both anti-communist crusaders and corruption among its exile population.

Coded Messages and High-Level Manipulation

To conceal their activities, Rivera created an encrypted chat group with co-defendant Esther Nuhfer and Venezuelan media tycoon Raul Gorrin. The group used code names for their targets and activities. Maduro was called the bus driver, Sessions received the nickname Sombrero, Rodriguez became The Lady in Red, and payments were referred to as The Light. Rubio was designated Miss Clairol, a play on his name meaning blond in Spanish.

Prosecutors presented evidence showing Rivera and Nuhfer attempted to manipulate influential friends including Rubio and Texas Representative Pete Sessions. Both lawmakers testified they felt betrayed upon learning of Rivera’s Venezuelan contract. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz argued that the United States and the public were the true victims, as Rivera abused his position of trust repeatedly and consistently throughout the scheme.

Defense Claims and Future Legal Battles

Rivera’s defense team argued he believed the work fell under commercial exemptions to foreign agent registration requirements, claiming the contract focused on bringing ExxonMobil back to Venezuela. Defense attorney Ed Shohat contended Rivera should not face such severe consequences for failing to file paperwork. Rivera has been jailed since his conviction and faces additional federal charges in Washington related to foreign lobbying. His attorneys applied for a presidential pardon in June and plan to appeal the sentence.