Rubio Details 2017 Venezuela Back‑Channel in Ex‑Rep. David Rivera’s Foreign‑Agent Trial
Senator Marco Rubio testified under oath in Miami federal court in the trial of former Rep. David Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer, who are accused in a 2022 indictment of money laundering and acting as unregistered foreign agents over a purported 2017 $50 million, three‑month contract tied to PDVSA/CITGO and brokered by Venezuelan figures including Raúl Gorrín and then‑foreign minister Delcy Rodríguez. Rubio — a onetime roommate of Rivera — described 2017 meetings Rivera arranged that were pitched as seeking a “peaceful transition,” said Rivera never disclosed the consulting contract or Maduro connection, and his testimony undercuts Rivera’s defense that the work was purely commercial while prosecutors say the scheme amounted to secret lobbying for Nicolás Maduro.
📌 Key Facts
- The federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera formally began in Miami federal court; Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were indicted in 2022 on an 11‑count indictment charging money laundering and failure to register as foreign agents, centered on an alleged $50 million, three‑month 2017 contract tied to CITGO (a U.S. PDVSA subsidiary) to lobby the first Trump administration.
- Prosecutors say the scheme was brokered on behalf of Nicolás Maduro’s government (via then‑Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez) and portray the case as one of 'greed and betrayal,' accusing Rivera and Nuhfer of making a pact to secretly lobby for Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez.
- The government points to encrypted chats and code words used by Rivera, Nuhfer and businessman Raúl Gorrín — including references to Maduro and regime figures and euphemisms for money — as evidence of clandestine coordination.
- Rivera’s defense says his work was commercial consulting for a U.S. Citgo subsidiary intended to lure Exxon back to Venezuela, arguing those activities were exempt from FARA; Rivera denies wrongdoing and his lawyers characterize the prosecution’s theory as baseless.
- Marco Rubio — identified in court papers as 'U.S. Senator 1' and later serving as secretary of state — testified under oath in the Miami trial, becoming the first sitting Cabinet official in recent decades to appear; his testimony described July 2017 contacts with Rivera and intermediaries and included specifics that may conflict with Rivera’s defense.
- On the stand Rubio said he met Rivera in July 2017, attended a July 12 meeting at the Mayflower Hotel where he expected (but did not receive) a letter about a 'peaceful transition,' saw a laptop showing what Rivera said were large Gorrín funds, and testified that Rivera did not disclose the $50 million consulting contract — which Rubio said he would not have known about or accepted.
- The trial has a notable personal and political dimension: Rivera is a former roommate of Rubio’s, the timing is politically sensitive for Rubio amid other foreign‑policy crises, and coverage notes courtroom dynamics and juror reactions as Rubio’s account is presented.
- Reporting highlights a central unresolved question at the heart of the case: whether Rivera was acting as a paid agent to normalize relations for Maduro’s regime or, as he claims, attempting to engineer Maduro’s peaceful departure — a factual dispute the jury must resolve; the proceedings are set against recent U.S. actions that removed Maduro and elevated Delcy Rodríguez as interim president after Maduro’s extradition and prosecution.
📊 Relevant Data
Between 1966 and 2015, the Department of Justice brought only seven criminal FARA cases, but enforcement has surged in the past decade in response to foreign interference concerns.
Back to the Future: Developments and Potential Changes for FARA on the Horizon — Pryor Cashman
An estimated 1.2 million Hispanics of Venezuelan origin lived in the U.S. in 2024, an increase of 639,000 or 119% since 2019, driven by economic and political instability in Venezuela since 2015, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
7 facts about Venezuelans in the US — Pew Research Center
The Venezuelan immigrant population in the United States grew 318% between 2010 and 2023, with significant concentrations in areas like Miami.
Venezuelan Immigrants in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
U.S.-led sanctions on Venezuela caused the country to lose oil revenue equivalent to 213% of its GDP between 2017 and 2023, contributing to economic collapse and mass migration.
They Are Making Venezuela's Economy Scream: The Eighteenth Newsletter (2025) — Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
Miami-Dade County had a net international migration of nearly 124,000 people between 2023 and 2024, offsetting domestic out-migration and contributing to population stability amid Venezuelan influxes.
Record number of residents left Miami-Dade but international migration peaked: Census Bureau — NBC Miami
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 25, 2026
1:24 AM
Rubio testimony sheds light on friend's shadowy Venezuela play
New information:
- Rubio testified he met Rivera in July 2017 in Washington, where Rivera claimed Venezuelan TV magnate Raúl Gorrín had persuaded Nicolás Maduro to step down and wanted to hand Rubio a letter for President Trump outlining a peaceful transition.
- Rubio said Rivera showed him a laptop screen with what appeared to be a large sum of money in a bank account, allegedly funds from Gorrín purportedly aimed at helping the Venezuelan opposition.
- Rubio confirmed under oath that Rivera did not disclose his $50 million consulting contract with CITGO at the time and that had he known, he would not have met with Rivera, directly challenging Rivera’s defense that he was working only for a U.S. company.
- The article details a July 12, 2017 meeting at the Mayflower Hotel with Rivera, Gorrín, Rivera associate Esther Nuhfer and others, where Rubio expected to receive Maduro’s letter but did not, leading him to conclude the effort was a 'waste of time.'
- Rubio acknowledged he delivered a July 11, 2017 Senate floor speech using specific phrases such as 'no vengeance' and 'no retribution' that Rivera had suggested, intended as a signal to regime insiders in Caracas considering a negotiated exit.
- The piece reports that Rivera and Nuhfer used code words in chats about the operation — 'El Guaguero' for Maduro, 'la luz' for money, and 'Miss Clairol' for Rubio — and recounts a former aide’s claim that Rubio once suggested Rivera might be a CIA operative or asset.
- Axios connects Rubio’s 2017 warning to Maduro ('the current path you are on will not end well for you') with Rubio’s later role in pressing for and 'leading the plot' to remove Maduro via a 2025 U.S. special forces operation.
- The article underscores lingering ambiguity central to the case: whether Rivera was acting as a paid agent for Maduro’s regime to normalize relations with the U.S. or, as he claims, trying to engineer Maduro’s peaceful departure and effectively double‑cross the regime.
March 24, 2026
11:04 PM
Details on Marco Rubio's testimony in former roommate's illegal lobbying trial
New information:
- CBS segment confirms the timing and fact of Rubio’s in‑person courtroom appearance on Tuesday in Rivera’s trial.
- Piece reiterates that Rivera, accused of illegally lobbying for Venezuela, denies any wrongdoing.
- Report underscores the personal dimension that Rivera is Rubio’s former roommate, highlighting the political sensitivity of Rubio’s testimony.
6:19 PM
Marco Rubio Testifies in Corruption Trial Against Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera
New information:
- Rubio has now taken the stand in the Miami trial and testified under oath, rather than merely being scheduled to appear.
- The article describes the substance and tone of Rubio’s testimony about his contacts with Rivera and with Venezuelan officials or intermediaries, clarifying whether Rivera ever disclosed he was working on behalf of Maduro‑linked interests.
- Coverage includes specific exchanges between Rubio and prosecutors/defense, including any contradictions with Rivera’s defense narrative that the work was purely commercial consulting exempt from FARA.
- The piece notes courtroom dynamics and how jurors reacted, offering insight into how central Rubio’s account may be to the government’s case.
1:17 PM
Rubio to testify in trial of former congressman accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela’s Maduro
New information:
- Confirms that Rubio’s testimony is scheduled for Tuesday in the Miami trial, making him the first sitting Cabinet member in more than 40 years to take the stand in a criminal trial.
- Reiterates that Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were indicted in 2022 on charges of acting as unregistered foreign agents for Venezuela and money laundering, specifically alleged lobbying of the first Trump administration on behalf of Nicolás Maduro.
- Adds detail that Rubio was a target of Rivera’s alleged efforts to influence the Trump White House and underscores Rubio’s past public statement that he worked closely with Rivera "but not on this" and that "there’s not a single person claiming otherwise."
12:00 PM
Rubio to testify in trial of ex-Rep. accused of illegal lobbying for Venezuela
New information:
- Confirms that Delcy Rodríguez, formerly Venezuela’s foreign minister, is now serving as interim president after the U.S. removed Nicolás Maduro in January and brought him to the U.S. for prosecution on narco‑terrorism–related charges.
- Clarifies that prosecutors frame the alleged scheme as a $50 million, three‑month contract in 2017 to lobby the first Trump administration via a U.S.-based PDVSA subsidiary operating under the CITGO name.
- Provides detailed summary of defense arguments in opening statements that Rivera’s work was commercial and focused on bringing Exxon back to Venezuela, which they argue exempts him from FARA.
- Restates and contextualizes Rubio’s prior CBS comments that Rivera’s lobbying had 'nothing to do' with him or their relationship and that 'there’s not a single person claiming otherwise.'
- Spells out that attempts to lobby Kellyanne Conway failed, while two meetings with Rubio were arranged, which the defense claims were unrelated to the alleged Maduro‑linked consulting work.
10:07 AM
Rubio to testify in friend's trial over Venezuela oil deal
New information:
- Rubio specifically asked to be called as a prosecution witness after Rivera’s defense team signaled it would call him, according to three Axios sources.
- Axios confirms Rubio will be the first sitting U.S. secretary of state in recent history to testify in a criminal trial.
- The article details that Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer are charged in an 11-count indictment involving money laundering and failure to register as foreign agents for Nicolás Maduro’s government, centered on a $50 million 2017 contract with CITGO.
- Rubio is identified in the indictment as 'U.S. Senator 1' and told the FBI in 2020 that a 2017 meeting with businessman Raúl Gorrín was pitched as discussing a 'peaceful transition of power' in Venezuela.
- Prosecutor Roger Cruz is quoted in opening statements describing the case as about 'greed and betrayal' and alleging the defendants made a pact to secretly lobby for Maduro and Delcy Rodríguez.
- Defense lawyer Ed Shohat likens the case to Seinfeld 'about nothing,' arguing Rivera tried to remove Maduro from power rather than help him stay.
- The piece situates the trial’s timing as 'extremely inconvenient' for Rubio, who is simultaneously helping manage fallout from the Iran war, Venezuela regime change, and Trump’s stated plans to 'take' Cuba.
March 23, 2026
5:51 PM
Rubio to testify in trial of former congressman accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela
New information:
- Confirms that the federal trial of former Rep. David Rivera formally began Monday in Miami federal court.
- Details that prosecutors allege Rivera secured a $50 million, three‑month lobbying contract to be paid by Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, brokered via then–Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, now Venezuela’s acting president.
- Adds that prosecutors say Rivera set up an encrypted 'MIA' chat with media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, using code names such as 'bus driver' for Nicolás Maduro, 'The Lady in Red' for Delcy Rodríguez, 'Sombrero' for Rep. Pete Sessions, and 'melons' for millions of dollars.
- Reports defense counsel’s opening argument that Rivera worked for a U.S. Citgo subsidiary, not PDVSA directly, and that his $50 million contract was supposedly commercial work to lure Exxon back to Venezuela and thus exempt from FARA.
- Provides prosecutor Roger Cruz’s framing quote that the case is about 'two things: greed and betrayal' and accuses Rivera and co‑defendant Esther Nuhfer of making 'a pact to secretly lobby for Nicolás Maduro.'