A federal judge in Miami has denied a request for bail from former Republican Congressman David Rivera, who was convicted earlier this year of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and conspiring to launder money in a secret lobbying operation tied to the Venezuelan government.
The ruling marks another setback for Rivera, once one of South Florida's most prominent Cuban American politicians and a longtime political ally of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rivera was found guilty in May alongside political consultant Esther Nuhfer after a six-week federal trial in Miami. Prosecutors persuaded jurors that the pair participated in a covert campaign to influence U.S. officials on behalf of interests linked to the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as required by federal law.
According to prosecutors, Rivera secured a $50 million contract with a subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA and then used his political connections in Washington to push for a softer U.S. approach toward Venezuela during President Donald Trump's first administration. Federal prosecutors said portions of those funds were used in a money-laundering scheme designed to conceal the true source of the payments.
Following the guilty verdict, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles ordered Rivera detained pending sentencing, citing concerns that he could flee. Rivera's legal team later sought his release on a multimillion-dollar bond package backed by several influential South Florida figures.
Among those who offered financial guarantees and pledged assets were Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina García, former Florida International University presidents Modesto "Mitch" Maidique and Mark Rosenberg, and other political and community leaders.
Despite those assurances, the judge rejected the request and ordered Rivera to remain in federal custody while awaiting sentencing.
The case attracted national attention because of Rubio's appearance as a witness during the trial. The secretary of state testified that he was unaware Rivera was allegedly working on behalf of interests connected to the Maduro government when the two men met in 2017 to discuss potential developments in Venezuela.
"I would have been surprised," Rubio told jurors when asked whether he knew Rivera might be acting for the Venezuelan government. Rubio also described Rivera's efforts as "a complete waste of time."
Rivera's attorneys argued throughout the trial that their client was not working to benefit Maduro but was instead involved in efforts aimed at encouraging political change in Venezuela and facilitating discussions related to commercial interests. The defense maintained that his activities did not require registration under federal foreign-agent laws.
Prosecutors rejected that explanation, arguing that the evidence showed Rivera repeatedly concealed who was funding his work while attempting to influence senior U.S. officials on matters directly affecting Venezuela.
The conviction represents a dramatic fall for a politician who once served as one of the Republican Party's most visible voices on Latin America policy. Rivera represented a Miami-area district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and was considered a close ally of Rubio dating back to their years in the Florida Legislature.
In addition to the Miami case, Rivera faces separate federal charges in Washington related to alleged lobbying activities on behalf of Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín, who has been sanctioned by the United States.
Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced in July. If the convictions stand, he could face years in federal prison on charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, acting as an unregistered foreign agent and related offenses tied to the Venezuela lobbying scheme.
