Popular political streamer Hasan Piker expressed alarm during a livestream after reports surfaced that federal authorities had detained a Cuban national allegedly connected to the organization that helped arrange Piker’s trip to Cuba earlier this year.
“Bro, Trump is going to put me in f***ing prison. I swear to God, what the hell is going on?” Piker said after reading news of the arrest during his broadcast.
The reaction came after federal agents detained Carlos Antonio Lloga Dominguez, a Cuban national who had lived in the U.S. for more than a decade.
According to the State Department, Lloga Dominguez worked for the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), an organization U.S. officials describe as Cuba’s primary influence and intelligence front operating in the U.S.
Federal authorities have placed Lloga Dominguez, along with his wife and son, in removal proceedings while the investigation continues.
According to a Bloomberg report cited by multiple outlets, Lloga Dominguez was part of the network that helped organize Piker’s March trip to Cuba.
Reacting to the development, Piker suggested he feared becoming a target of the Trump administration.
“We’re about to hit f***ing 1930s Germany if we haven’t already hit it,” Piker said during the livestream.
“And these dumb f***s on the Democratic Party side are still complaining about people that the Trump administration is actively targeting. And they’re also taking advantage of that active targeting because they also don’t like us. Great.”
Piker traveled to Cuba in March as part of the “Nuestra América Convoy,” a delegation of roughly 650 participants. The trip was organized by several activist organizations, including CodePink, the ANSWER Coalition, the People’s Forum and Progressive International.
After returning from Cuba, Piker released videos and livestream content documenting the visit, including appearances with senior Cuban government officials.
Earlier this year, Fox News reported that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had issued administrative subpoenas to Piker and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin. According to the report, investigators were seeking financial records, travel information and documents related to contacts with Cuban government personnel.
The subpoenas were described as part of a civil inquiry into potential sanctions compliance and do not constitute criminal charges, per Trending Politics.
To date, federal authorities have not announced criminal charges against Piker or publicly stated that he is the subject of a criminal investigation related to the Cuba trip.
Likewise, officials have not alleged that Piker participated in or had knowledge of any intelligence activities connected to Lloga Dominguez or ICAP.
The detention of Lloga Dominguez comes as the Trump administration has increased scrutiny of individuals and organizations accused of advancing the interests of the Cuban government within the United States.
Piker, one of the country’s most prominent left-wing online commentators, has frequently criticized President Donald Trump and Republican policies on immigration, foreign affairs and national security.
As of Friday, the administration had not publicly responded to Piker’s livestream comments. Likewise, Piker had not released any additional statement beyond his on-air reaction.
