WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, Victor Manuel Rocha, has been arrested and charged with acting as a clandestine agent for the Cuban government for over four decades. The Department of Justice (DOJ) contends that Rocha, who served as a trusted diplomat, exploited his positions to support Cuba’s intelligence services, posing a significant threat to U.S. national security.
Rocha, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Colombia, is facing 15 charges, including acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and wire fraud. According to court documents unsealed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors allege that Rocha began his espionage role as early as 1981, using his diplomatic roles to gain access to classified information and influence U.S. foreign policy.
The indictment details Rocha’s ascent through various diplomatic postings, starting with lower-level roles in U.S. embassies in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Mexico. Over the years, he rose to prominent positions, including director of Inter-American Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council and ultimately serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 1999 to 2002.
Prosecutors argue that Rocha meticulously concealed his Cuban agent status, using strategic methods and claiming allegiance to “the Dirección,” Cuba’s intelligence apparatus. The evidence presented includes undercover recordings and documented meetings with an FBI agent, providing insight into Rocha’s disciplined pattern of espionage to protect himself and his covert activities.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the severity of the charges, stating, “This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the U.S. government by a foreign agent.”
The FBI initiated the investigation in November of last year after receiving information about Rocha’s covert activities. An undercover FBI agent, posing as a representative of “friends in Havana,” engaged Rocha in a series of meetings. Rocha, seemingly unaware of the undercover nature of the encounters, openly discussed his role as a Cuban agent, boasting about the impact of his actions on strengthening the Cuban Revolution.
Rocha was arrested last Friday and appeared in court on Monday. If convicted, he could face severe penalties, underscoring the DOJ’s commitment to safeguarding the trust placed in government officials. This arrest follows a pattern of increased vigilance against foreign infiltration, echoing the recent release of Ana Montes, a former Cuban spy imprisoned for 17 years for espionage against the United States. As of now, neither the Cuban Embassy nor Rocha’s attorney has commented on the charges.
