Marco Rubio Testifies He Was Targeted in Alleged Assassination Plot by Top Venezuelan Official Cabello

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in federal court that he was alerted in 2017 of an alleged assassination plot against him ordered by top Venezuelan official Diosdado Cabello, offering one of the most consequential revelations in the trial of former congressman David Rivera.

Rubio's testimony took place during Rivera's trial in Miami, where prosecutors allege he acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Venezuela's government in a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort.

According to Rubio, the threat against him emerged shortly after a series of meetings in Washington in July 2017, when intermediaries claimed they could facilitate a political transition in Venezuela, as Axios first reported. He said U.S. authorities warned him that Cabello, a senior figure in the ruling movement, had ordered his assassination, prompting heightened security measures for several months.

Elsewhere during the testimony, the secretary of state distanced himself from Rivera's alleged dealings, telling the court he had no knowledge of a consulting contract tied to CITGO, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuela's state oil company. "It would have been of interest to me," Rubio said, adding he would not have engaged further had he known Rivera was linked to the Venezuelan government. In separate remarks, he said he "would've been shocked" to learn of such ties.

Prosecutors allege Rivera received millions of dollars to lobby U.S. officials and help ease sanctions on Caracas, while maintaining access to policymakers including Rubio. Rivera has denied wrongdoing, arguing his efforts were aimed at encouraging Nicolás Maduro to leave power peacefully.

Rubio testified that he was initially open to the possibility, saying that if there was "a 1% chance it was real," he was willing to relay information. However, he later described a key meeting with Venezuelan businessman Raúl Gorrín as "a total waste of my time" after promised evidence failed to materialize.

Cabello's alleged role adds further weight to the Rivera trial. He has been indicted in the United States on charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and is the subject of a $25 million reward for information leading to his arrest. U.S. authorities have accused him of involvement in drug trafficking networks and ties to armed groups, allegations he has denied.

Cabello, however, remains a central figure inside Venezuela's current power structure, led by Delcy Rodríguez, which complicates any effort to detain him given the Trump administration's engagement with interim authorities.