Former US Congressman David Rivera was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally lobbying US officials in favor of Venezuela. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian in federal court in Miami.
Rivera, 61, is a Republican and represented South Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. He was found guilty in May 2026 of his actions in 2017 when he lobbied to ease pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro without registering as a foreign agent, as required by the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Prosecutors said Rivera acted on behalf of a “hostile foreign government” and received $20 million from the U.S. subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company. The prosecution asked the court to impose a significant prison sentence.
Defense denies working for Maduro
Rivera has pleaded not guilty. His lawyers have said he was not acting in favor of the Venezuelan government, but rather working for the opposition to remove Maduro from power.
The defense has asked for no prison sentence. The lawyers have also pointed out that the case began with charges filed in 2022 during the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden. They stressed that since taking office in January 2025, Donald Trump has downplayed the importance of the Foreign Agents Registration Act cases.
How the verdict came about
The charge relates to lobbying activities carried out after Rivera's term in Congress ended. According to prosecutors, he used his political contacts in Washington to push for a change in the US approach to Venezuela without disclosing his connection to the Maduro government.
Rivera was found guilty in the case in May after a trial in federal court in Miami. The court accepted the indictment for working for a foreign government without the required registration. After the 10-year sentence, he remains under federal jurisdiction.
Sources: BTA, Reuters