Victor Manuel Rocha, a former US diplomat who served as the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to acting as an agent of Cuba. The Justice Department described his case as one of the most extensive and enduring infiltrations of the US government.
Rocha, 73, pleaded guilty to two charges, including acting as an illegal foreign agent. He was initially charged in December, and his secret support for Cuba's Communist Party and involvement in intelligence gathering against the US spanned over four decades, including his 20-year tenure in the State Department.
During a press conference in Miami, David Newman, a senior national security official at the US Justice Department, characterized Rocha's actions as a betrayal and deceit spanning most of his life. Rocha acknowledged his decades-long collaboration with Cuba and boasted about his ability to evade detection during meetings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of Cuba’s foreign intelligence service.
Rocha's lawyer did not provide any comment, but Rocha agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with federal prosecutors, requiring him to disclose details of his interactions with Cuban intelligence. However, officials stated that the full extent of Rocha's cooperation with Havana may never be known.
Prosecutors revealed that Rocha actively sought positions that would grant him access to sensitive information and influence over US foreign policy. His employment history included working for the State Department from 1981 to 2002, including a stint as a member of the White House’s National Security Council from 1994 to 1995.
Rocha's case underscores the importance of vigilance against foreign influence and espionage within government institutions, highlighting the Justice Department's commitment to uncovering and prosecuting such activities.
