David Rivera cried in court

I once dubbed him “La Cucaracha” (The Cockroach). 

David Rivera, a former member of Congress, would get in trouble, avoid it, and scurry to safety after his misdeeds. Along the way, someone, usually a woman, would end up paying the price. He would later appear on the front page of the Miami Herald with a big Cheshire Cat smile. 

His luck finally ran out last week. 

Rivera was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison in connection with a secret $50 million lobbying campaign on Venezuela’s behalf during the first Trump administration. As the Associated Press reported, “Rivera, 61, appeared stone-faced as Judge Melissa Damian denounced him for betraying his life’s mission…”

The tears rolled down his puffy cheeks when Rivera addressed the judge: “I only beg for your mercy in not letting me die in prison,” Rivera told U.S. District Judge Damian as he pled for leniency. As reported by the Miami Herald, “Rivera told Damian he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and said testing produced what he described as a statistical prognosis of a survival probability of seven to 10 years.”

His consternation about spending a decade behind bars is understandable. But very much like the David Rivera we’ve all come to know, he cries for himself while ignoring his many, many wrongdoings as an elected and non-elected official.

Among the documented controversies and legal proceedings surrounding Rivera:

• Florida ethics violations involving financial disclosures.
• Improper state travel reimbursements.
• Use of campaign funds for personal expenses.
• The gambling-related investigation involving undisclosed compensation.
• An FDLE investigation that culminated in prosecutors considering a 52-count indictment.
• The 2012 federal campaign-finance investigation involving the “spoiler” candidate Justin Lamar Sternad.
• A $456,000 civil judgment in that case that was later vacated on appeal and dismissed.
• His 2022 federal arrest in the Venezuela case.
• Federal tax allegations that remain separate from the conviction.
• His May 2026 conviction on seven federal counts.
• His October 2, 2026, sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
• A separate Washington, D.C., indictment alleging that Rivera received more than $5.5 million to lobby on behalf of Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín without registering as a foreign agent. That remains unresolved.

In their reporting, the Miami Herald mentioned that “the defense also called members of the Miami community who described Rivera’s decades of public service and the help he had provided to people in South Florida. The courtroom was packed with supporters, some of whom told Damian that Rivera had helped them when they needed it most.” Most were Cubans and members of Miami’s Republican establishment. Included was former FIU president Modesto Maidique.

Considering the damage Rivera’s conduct has caused this community, and the millions of dollars that have followed him from one controversy to another, their praise is difficult to understand.

For years, David Rivera seemed to have mastered the art of escaping through the cracks. This time there are no cracks. There is no political connection to call, no campaign to hide behind, and no clever explanation to offer. A federal prison is waiting for him.

La Cucaracha finally ran out of places to hide.