Hasan Piker and CodePink co-founder Susan Medea Benjamin have been subpoenaed by the U.S. Treasury as part of a probe into potential Cuban sanctions violations. In March 2026, they participated in the Nuestra América Convoy, which allegedly delivered aid to Cubans living under a dictatorial regime. Questions about Piker's five-star hotel stay amid blackouts and his documentary "The American War Against Cuba," which blames U.S. sanctions for the island's crises, point to possible violations. Critics note the documentary's pro-Cuba and anti-American bias.
Activism Driven By Familial Wealth
Hasan Piker, like many progressive social media creators, has benefited from living under a capitalist system with some nepotism; however, he often portrays capitalism as entirely harmful. Coming from a wealthy Turkish family that understands the difficulties of living among violent Islamic extremists, Hasan Piker instead focuses heavily on promoting a progressive academic narrative that often depicts white men as inherently oppressive or racist. Ironically, he speaks of socialism positively and defends it fervently just as his wealthy uncle who runs The Young Turks, Cenk Uygur. With their wealth they have been able to expand their holdings and their rhetoric.
Piker speaks about the proletariat, but lives in a West Hollywood home that was purchased on August 13, 2021, for $2.74 million. At the time of the sale, the property featured five bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms. Today, the home is estimated to be worth approximately $3.725 million. His net worth has exploded in recent years with expert estimates suggesting his wealth to be around $9 million in May 2026. This raises questions about his intentions regarding his trip to Cuba with Susan Medea Benjamin, who comes from a wealthy real estate development dynasty and is the President of The Benjamin Fund (EIN 84-1618483), an organization estimated to have held approximately $48 million in assets in 2022.
Nuestra América Convoy
Hasan Piker and Susan Medea Benjamin traveled to Cuba under the organization CodePink to allegedly document conditions and provide aid to Cubans suffering from unreliable access to electricity and infrastructure issues. During their trip, they conducted interviews with local residents; however, many critics argued that Hasan Piker’s film, "The American War Against Cuba", presented a heavily biased narrative. Critics claimed that the footage was selectively edited and that many of the interviews reflected a strong anti-American perspective.
According to those critics, the documentary notably lacked meaningful criticism of the Cuban government or its policies. This led some viewers to argue that the film functioned more as political propaganda than as balanced journalism. Others also questioned whether the documentary adequately represented the broader range of opinions held by ordinary Cuban citizens, particularly dissidents and critics of the regime. Few defended the film as being examples of how the Cuban people feel about the United States embargo.
During the Nuestra América Convoy, several blackouts occurred in Cuba. However, the CodePink team, Hasan Piker, and Susan Medea Benjamin were unaffected. In one scene, you could see CodePink's crew enjoying themselves with music and drinks while the neighborhood around them was pitch black.
The electricity was available at the five-star hotel they were staying at while those in surrounding barrios were in darkness. The Iberostar Marqués de la Torre is a five-star hotel that Hasan Piker claimed was chosen because it was not owned by the Cuban government, but instead Spanish investors. Piker and Benjamin defended their actions, claiming that this was one of the few options that complied with U.S. sanctions on Cuba.
Hasan Piker and Susan Medea Benjamin faced serious criticism by Cuban democracy activists while many progressive supporters defended their documentary and alleged humanitarian efforts.
Treasury OFAC Subpoena on Hasan Piker and Susan Medea Benjamin
As a result of this, it is reported that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued administrative subpoenas—formally called “Requests for Information” (RFI)—to streamer Hasan Piker (HasanAbi) and CODEPINK co-founder Susan Medea Benjamin (and as part of a broader dragnet involving up to 40 American citizens) on May 23, 2026.
These subpoenas were issued as part of a federal investigation by Treasury, State, and Justice Department officials into whether the recipients and other activists violated long-standing U.S. Cuba sanctions laws (specifically the Cuban Asset Control Regulations) through the financing, coordination, or delivery of goods during their participation in the mid-March 2026 “Nuestra América Convoy” (also called “Our America Convoy”), a mission that allegedly brought ~650 delegates from 33 countries and 120 organizations to Havana to deliver approximately 20 tons of humanitarian supplies to Cuba’s ruling Communist Party and government entities, with possible contacts with Cuban officials and stays at foreign-owned hotels such as the Iberostar Marqués de la Torre.
The RFIs specifically demand financial, logistical, travel, and communications records related to the trips (which the participants publicly bragged about on social media and streams), with no criminal charges filed to date and the probe framed by officials as routine sanctions enforcement while Piker and Benjamin have called it an attempt to criminalize humanitarian aid.
