Ex-U.S. ambassador who spied for Cuba for decades gets 15 years

Washington — A erstwhile U.S. ambassador formally pleaded blameworthy Friday to moving for Cuba's spy work for decades and was sentenced to 15 years successful prison, bringing a speedy extremity to a lawsuit that prosecutors described arsenic 1 of nan longest-running betrayals of nan U.S. authorities successful history.

Victor Manuel Rocha, nan erstwhile U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, was indicted in December connected charges that he spied for Cuba's intelligence agency for much than 40 years. Rocha, who lives successful Miami, originally pleaded not guilty in mid-February, then reversed course later that month.

The case's solution was concisely successful uncertainty during a proceeding connected Friday erstwhile U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom questioned whether a plea woody Rocha struck pinch prosecutors was reliable enough, since it lacked restitution for imaginable victims and did not revoke Rocha's U.S. citizenship. Prosecutors based on that 15 years was capable fixed nan 73-year-old would apt dice successful prison.

The plea woody was yet amended to see restitution for imaginable victims, which will beryllium wished astatine a later time. Denaturalization is besides imaginable arsenic a civilian action down nan line.

Rocha's activity for Cuba

Victor Rocha appears astatine a proceeding successful national tribunal successful Miami connected Friday, April 12, 2024. Lothar Speer

Little has been revealed astir what Rocha did to thief nan communist authorities aliases really he whitethorn person influenced U.S. argumentation while he worked for nan State Department for 2 decades. He held high-level information clearances that gave him entree to apical concealed information, according to nan indictment, which could person made him a valuable plus to Cuba, which has agelong had dispute relations pinch nan U.S. 

But Rocha was not charged pinch espionage, and alternatively was accused of acting arsenic a overseas agent, which nan Justice Department refers to arsenic "espionage lite." Acting arsenic a overseas supplier carries a shorter situation sentence. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland has described nan lawsuit arsenic "one of nan highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of nan U.S. authorities by a overseas agent." 

Born successful Colombia, Rocha moved to New York erstwhile he was 10 years aged aft his begetter died. His family lived pinch his uncle successful Harlem, supported by his mother's occupation successful a sweatshop sewing mill and nutrient stamps. In 1965, a danasiwa to be Taft School, an elite boarding schoolhouse successful Connecticut, changed nan trajectory of his life, he told nan school's alumni mag successful 2004. But while there, he knowledgeable favoritism and considered termination aft his closest friend refused to beryllium roommates pinch him complete nan colour of his skin, he said. 

Investigators alleged Rocha was recruited by Cuba's spy agency successful Chile successful 1973 aft he graduated from Yale University. That aforesaid year, Chile's socialist president, Salvador Allende, was ousted successful a U.S.-backed coup. 

He became a naturalized U.S. national successful 1978 and besides holds degrees from Harvard and Georgetown universities. His profession astatine nan State Department began successful 1981 and included various positions successful Latin America. He concisely held an influential domiciled astatine nan White House National Security Council during nan Clinton administration. His profession astatine nan State Department culminated successful an ambassadorship successful Bolivia from 2000 to 2002. 

As nan ambassador to Bolivia, Rocha warned Bolivians that electing leftist coca husbandman Evo Morales, a protege of Fidel Castro, arsenic president would jeopardize U.S. assistance to nan country. The involution was credited pinch helping boost Morales' standing, and he thanked Rocha for being his "best run chief," nan New York Times reported successful 2002.

Cuba besides fell nether Rocha's purview during his stint astatine nan National Security Council and while he was posted astatine nan U.S. ngo successful Havana successful nan 1990s. After leaving nan State Department, he was an advisor to nan commandant of nan U.S. Southern Command, whose area of work includes Cuba.

His positions wrong nan authorities would person fixed him compartmentalized entree to accusation involving Cuba, including U.S. assessments of nan Cuban regime, biographic profiles, specifications astir covert programs tally by nan U.S. and negotiated reports from crossed nan world astir nan Cubans, according to John Feeley, a erstwhile U.S. ambassador to Panama who erstwhile considered Rocha a mentor. 

"He would person been enormously valuable to them," Feeley told CBS News. 

The State Department and nan intelligence organization are assessing nan imaginable harm to nationalist security, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters aft Rocha's arrest. 

An lawyer for Rocha, Jacqueline Arango, did not return a petition for comment. 

"The daze is complete"

This image provided by nan Justice Department and contained successful nan affidavit successful support of a criminal title shows Victor Manuel Rocha during a gathering pinch a FBI undercover employee. Department of Justice / AP

Details astir really nan FBI began to fishy Rocha had acted arsenic a covert supplier for Cuba are unclear, different than it received a extremity earlier November 2022, according to tribunal documents. In nan pursuing months, nan agency surveilled Rocha arsenic he met pinch an undercover FBI supplier whom he believed to beryllium a typical of Cuba's spy agency. 

On Nov. 15, 2022, nan undercover supplier sent nan retired diplomat a WhatsApp connection "from your friends successful Havana," nan documents said.

"I cognize that you person been a awesome friend of ours since your clip successful Chile," nan undercover supplier told Rocha successful a consequent telephone call. The 2 agreed to meet successful personification nan adjacent day. 

During their conversations complete nan adjacent year, Rocha referred to nan U.S. arsenic "the enemy" and said "what we person done" was "enormous" and "more than a expansive slam," tribunal documents said. 

"My number 1 concern; my number 1 privilege was ... immoderate action connected nan portion of Washington that would — would endanger nan life of — of nan leadership, aliases nan — aliases nan gyration itself," Rocha allegedly told nan undercover agent. 

The title besides alleged that Rocha met pinch his Cuban handlers arsenic precocious arsenic 2017, first flying from Miami to nan Dominican Republic utilizing his American passport, past utilizing a Dominican passport to alert to Panama and onto Havana.

Rocha said Cuba's spy agency had instructed him to "lead a normal life," and he yet created a screen communicative "of a right-wing person" to conceal his double life, according to nan complaint. 

Feeley, who worked nether Rocha erstwhile he was nan lawman main of ngo for nan U.S. Embassy successful nan Dominican Republic, said successful caller years Rocha became an "over-the-top Donald Trump guy." The 2 had kept successful touch since their posting successful nan Dominican Republic, but erstwhile Feeley past saw Rocha successful 2019, nan antecedently apolitical Rocha had "gone down a Trump-MAGA rabbit hole," arsenic Feeley put it. 

"It was really uncomfortable," Feeley said, adding that he and his erstwhile colleagues ne'er suspected it was a cover. "I've already been done nan full rhythm of condolences here. The daze is complete." 

Feeley resigned arsenic U.S. ambassador to Panama successful 2018 complete argumentation disputes pinch nan Trump administration.

Rocha did his occupation good and was generous pinch his mentoring, but he besides had a beardown ego and thought he was smarter than others, Feeley said.

On June 23, 2023, Rocha held his past gathering pinch nan undercover FBI supplier astatine an outdoor nutrient tribunal down a religion successful Miami. Prosecutors said Rocha became angry erstwhile nan supplier asked, "Are you still pinch us?" 

"I americium pissed off," Rocha allegedly responded, saying it's "like questioning my manhood. … It's for illustration you want maine to driblet them … and show you if I still person testicles." 

Why did a septuagenarian who had managed to flight discovery for decades and had agelong been retired from authorities work wound truthful easy astatine nan FBI's outreach?

"My emotion is that he felt irrelevant," Feeley said. "You do thing for 40 years, it gives you benignant of a consciousness of purpose, and there's nary golden watch astatine nan extremity of it." 

Ivan Taylor contributed reporting.

In:
• Cuba
• United States Department of State
• Spying
• United States Department of Justice
• Miami