Former Congressman David Rivera Arrested in Venezuelan Probe

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera was arrested for money laundering and representing a foreign government without registering, according to the Associated Press.

Rivera was reportedly arrested at Atlanta’s airport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami.

The former Miami congressman had reportedly signed a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s socialist government. The indictment alleges that Rivera did not register as a foreign agent when he he lobbied on behalf of Venezuela to lower tensions with the U.S. at the start of the Trump administration and worked to resolve a legal dispute with a U.S. oil company.

The AP reports that the indictment mentions several meetings that Rivera tried to set up for allies of President Nicolas Maduro with U.S. lawmakers and White House officials. Rivera reportedly referred to Maduro in chat messages as the “bus driver” and millions of dollars as “melons” to cover up the real meanings.

Rivera is a Republican who served from 2011 to 2013.

News broke more than two years ago that Rivera received a massive contract from a U.S. affiliate of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company as President Maduro was trying to gain favor with the White House.

In 2020, Rivera’s Interamerican Consulting was sued by PDV USA and alleged that the former congressman  performed no work as part of the contract he signed in 2017 for three months of “strategic consulting.” Rivera countersued PDV and alleged a breach of contract.