Mocobizscene – A former U.S. diplomat has confessed to spying for Cuba for several decades. During a court hearing, he stated his intention to plead guilty to federal charges related to his espionage activities on behalf of the communist regime.
Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, is currently facing charges of allegedly spying for Cuba’s intelligence agency for a period of four decades.
According to The Associated Press, during a federal court hearing in Miami on Thursday, Rocha stated that he had agreed to plead guilty to two charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors have agreed to dismiss more than a dozen other charges.
Rocha faces a maximum sentence of five to 10 years in prison on the two counts. According to the AP, when the judge asked him if he wanted to change his plea, Rocha responded with “I am in agreement.” Following the hearing, the case docket reflected his intention to change his plea. Rocha is scheduled to appear in court again on April 12.
According to prosecutors, Rocha was allegedly recruited by Cuba’s spy agency, the Directorate of Intelligence, in Chile in 1973. They claim that the intelligence service instructed him to create a cover story in order to conceal his double life.
Attorney General Merrick Garland characterized Rocha’s arrest as a significant case involving a foreign agent who had infiltrated the U.S. government. According to Garland, Rocha actively sought out positions within the U.S. government that would grant him access to classified information and the power to influence U.S. foreign policy.
The government has not disclosed the specific information Rocha may have shared with Cuba or the potential impact it could have on U.S. policy. The indictment reveals that Rocha possessed high-level security clearances, granting him authorized access to classified information.
During the course of multiple meetings, Rocha engaged with an undercover FBI agent, whom he mistakenly believed to be a representative from Cuba’s spy agency. Throughout these interactions, he referred to the United States as “the enemy” and expressed a sense of pride in the magnitude of their actions, stating that their accomplishments were “enormous” and comparable to “more than a grand slam.” This information is detailed in the criminal complaint against him.
Rocha reportedly expressed his top concern and priority, stating that he was highly cautious about any actions taken by Washington that could potentially endanger the lives of the leadership or the revolution itself, according to the undercover agent.
Rocha, originally from Colombia, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1978. From 1981 to the early 2000s, he dedicated over two decades of his career to the State Department, holding various positions in Latin America. Notably, he served as the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002. During his tenure, he also oversaw Cuban affairs while serving as the director for inter-American affairs at the National Security Council and as a deputy principal officer at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. Following his time at the State Department, he offered his expertise as an advisor to the commander of the U.S. Southern Command, whose jurisdiction includes Cuba.
Rocha’s tenure in the U.S. government coincided with that of Ana Montes, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst who was imprisoned for 20 years for espionage on behalf of Cuba. Montes, who was recruited by Cuban intelligence in 1984, joined the Defense Intelligence Agency during the same period.
During a meeting with an undercover FBI agent, Rocha expressed admiration for a U.S. government employee who had spied for Cuba, stating that she had been betrayed.
He expressed his regret, stating that if she hadn’t been betrayed, she would have been able to accomplish much more. He later referred to her as “Ana,” as mentioned in the indictment.
