Trading Places II: Former Congressman David “Nine Lives” Rivera, who has had an infamous 
and adversarial relationship with most of the local media, turned the tables Friday on a CBS4 cameraman who was following him and, we assume, filming the former legislator as he went about his daily routine.
Rivera called the police in Doral, where he lives, to report the harassment and trespassing, since the man started his tailing of his target at Rivera’s home — in a gated community.
But first, he called Ladra.
Moments earlier, I had called Rivera, who is allegedly under an endless investigation into the campaign financing of a primary candidate in the 2012 race, to ask about rampant rumors running among reporters that he was turning himself in to authorities this afternoon. I had gotten calls from three reporters asking if I knew anything or who his attorney was. As far as I know, Rivera — who repeatedly denies even being investigated — doesn’t even have an attorney.
He said the same thing he always says whenever I call him about his “impending” arrest, indictment or surrender — which is about every three months or so. “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” It’s a Mark Twain quote.
But about 15 minutes later, as I got in my car to head to the swearing-in for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia, Rivera called me back. This time, he was not in a joking mood. In fact, he sounded a little nervous. “I’m being followed,” said Rivera, who has had several death threats in the past four years and did not know yet this was a news person. “Where are you?”
I was sitting in traffic northbound on the Palmetto, running late (as usual) so it made sense to change plans and keep going north to Doral, where he had stopped at the SunTrust Bank on 36th and 87th Avenue. It took me about 10 minutes to get there. Rivera was still inside and there was a guy sitting in a parked, white SUV, just like he had told me, waiting for him to come out. I parked and waited for Rivera to exit. When he did, the 
white SUV followed him out and Ladra followed the white SUV.
From SunTrust we all went into the new Starbuck’s on 114th Avenue — Rivera in his Nissan first, then the guy in the white Ford Explorer and then Ladra in her Jeep. I went through the drive through while Rivera went inside for a latte. When he came out, he got in his car and turned right on 36th Street, making a U-Turn on 115th. The white SUV followed and I followed that. Rivera went home. He had already called police on his way to Starbuck’s. This time, the white SUV did not follow him into the gated community. Perhaps because the police car was there going in at the same time.
The white SUV continued around the gated community complex to the other gate on the other side, from where you can see the front of Rivera’s home. I followed the white SUV, not Rivera. When we got to the other gate, the police were arriving also.
Ladra got out of her car with her cellphone and started taking photos and video. The guy in the SUV wouldn’t tell me who he was with or what he was doing. I later found out he was cameraman Manny Alvarez. He asked me who
I was. I told him. I But I thought it was funny that they avoided questions, which is what they always say Rivera does. I asked in Spanish and English, just in case, and almost expected him to tell me to “email him.” After a second CBS4 truck arrived, I went up to those people to ask what was going on and got the car door slammed in my face. When they opened it so that the guy who was following Rivera could get out and get back into the white SUV, one of the men — he looked like he was in charge — said no comment.
No comment! From the media rather than Rivera! It was classic role reversal.
Now, I don’t necessarily think the guy did anything terribly wrong. He was doing his job. I told the congressman that Ladra, too, has tailed boleteras for Political Cortadito and had once entered the gated community of a suspected Cuban spy, and talked to his neighbors, when I worked at the Herald. But Rivera insists that he feared for his life, because of the death threats and the fact that he didn’t know who was following him.. The white SUV had no media insignias or markings on it. He was undercover.
But even now when he knows it was just some cameraman, he insists on pressing charges.
“Due to death threats I’ve received the last few years, I always remain aware of my surroundings, particularly near my home, which is how I was able to detect this stalker,” Rivera said later, after he had gone to see his tile guy and gone home and calmed down a little. “Given these threats, I fully intend on pressing criminal charges for stalking, assault and trespassing against the individual involved, as well as pursuing any civil remedies against the individual or his employer.”
Ladra tried to reason with him. They look stupid enough already, getting caught in the middle of the surveillance. Let it go, I urged him. They learned their lesson.
Reporters are not shielded from the law, he said. “According to Florida Statutes, the law does not provide an exemption from these crimes for members of the media.”
But Ladra thinks he maybe likes the fact that he’s the one cornering them now.
David Rivera says he was ‘stalked’ by a CBS cameraman added by Ladra on
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