A former U.S. diplomat, Victor Manuel Rocha, received a 15-year prison sentence after confessing to acting as a Cuban agent, marking one of the most extensive and enduring infiltrations of the U.S. government, according to the Justice Department.
Rocha, who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent after being initially charged in December.
Prosecutors revealed that Rocha, 73, clandestinely supported Cuba‘s Communist Party and assisted in intelligence gathering against the U.S. for more than four decades, including during his 20-year tenure in the State Department.
David Newman, a senior national security official at the Justice Department, denounced Rocha’s actions during a press conference in Miami, stating, “Today’s plea brings an end to more than four decades of betrayal and deceit by Mr. Rocha.”
Rocha’s admissions of aiding Cuba and his confidence in avoiding detection were revealed in meetings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence representative.
“What we have done… it’s enormous. More than a grand slam,” Rocha told the agent, as documented in the criminal complaint filed in Miami federal court.
Despite Rocha’s plea deal, which obliges him to disclose details of his interactions with Cuban intelligence, U.S. officials acknowledge uncertainty regarding the full extent of his collaboration with Havana.
Prosecutors emphasized Rocha’s deliberate pursuit of positions granting access to sensitive information and influence over U.S. foreign policy.
Rocha’s career spanned from 1981 to 2002, including a stint on the White House’s National Security Council from 1994 to 1995. A lawyer for Rocha declined to comment on the matter.
With Rocha’s sentencing, the Justice Department concludes a significant case of espionage within the U.S. government’s ranks, marking the end of decades of covert activity.
