According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), a former U.S. ambassador who had previously been charged with spying for Cuba has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, has admitted guilt on two charges. The charges include conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiring to defraud the United States, as well as acting as an agent of a foreign government without proper notification as required by law. The Department of Justice (DOJ) stated in a press release that Rocha pled guilty and received the maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
According to a press release, Assistant Attorney General Matt Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division stated that the defendant’s plea and sentencing mark the conclusion of over four decades of betrayal and deceit.
According to Olsen, Rocha’s admission of acting as an agent of the Cuban government while holding multiple positions of trust in the U.S. government is a shocking betrayal of the American people. This revelation exposes the fact that every oath he took to the United States was nothing but a lie.
In late February, Rocha informed U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, who was overseeing his case, of his intention to plead guilty to the charges brought against him by the DOJ in December 2023.
Rocha faced allegations of aiding Cuba by leveraging his access to classified information and wielding his influence in foreign policy. This included traveling outside the U.S. to hold meetings with Cuban representatives.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, acknowledged the impact of Rocha’s criminal activities on behalf of the Cuban Government, particularly for those in South Florida. Lapointe emphasized that although Rocha’s cooperation, as mandated by his plea agreement, is significant, it does not diminish the gravity of his wrongdoing or the betrayal of trust he committed.
