UMVA has learned that federal officials have launched a wide-ranging investigation into whether U.S. organizations and leaders have violated U.S. laws and sanctions in supporting Cuba's communist regime, with several high-profile activists and influencers now facing scrutiny.
At the center of this probe are Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker and CodePink co-founder Susan Medea Benjamin, who have been served subpoenas by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control as part of a broader inquiry into potential sanctions violations.
The investigation centers on trips made by Piker and Benjamin to Cuba in March, where they joined a delegation of communist sympathizers, activists, and influencers known as the "Nuestra América Convoy," or "Our America Convoy," which brought supplies to the country's ruling Communist Party of Cuba.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the administrative subpoenas seek financial, logistical, and communications information related to the trips, which were widely publicized by Piker and Benjamin on social media.
This probe is part of a larger effort by U.S. officials to curb malign foreign influence operations inside the United States, particularly activities tied to support for political violence, extremist movements, or acts the U.S. government classifies as terrorism.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that one of the key figures behind the scenes is a major donor who has pumped $278 million into nonprofit groups pushing pro-China, pro-Cuba, and anti-U.S. narratives over the past decade.
The organizations involved in the convoy, including the Venceremos Brigade and People's Forum, have been linked to a network of anti-U.S. Marxists, communists, and socialists, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 40 American citizens may be under scrutiny.
Piker, one of the most influential political streamers on Twitch, has built a massive online following with a mix of Marxist politics, anti-American commentary, and inflammatory statements that have repeatedly drawn public backlash.
Benjamin, meanwhile, has made a name for herself as an activist gadfly who stages media spectacles at Congressional hearings, defense industry trade conferences, and the homes of government officials, denouncing the U.S. and uplifting communist and authoritarian regimes.
The investigation has significant implications, with legal experts suggesting that the subpoenas could determine whether prosecutors pursue a criminal case under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or whether the matter remains a civil enforcement issue handled by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control can impose civil penalties under a "strict liability" standard, meaning the government does not have to prove intent, while the Justice Department generally must show that a defendant willfully violated the law in a criminal case.
As the probe continues, Piker and Benjamin remain at the center of the storm, with their actions and statements under intense scrutiny.
