Former US ambassador, Cuban spy blames decision to betray country on Yale's radical politics in 60s, 70s

A erstwhile National Security Council personnel and U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, who admitted to secretly acting arsenic an supplier for nan authorities of nan Republic of Cuba, blames nan extremist authorities pushed connected him during his formative assemblage years for turning connected his country.

A national judge sentenced 73-year-old Victor Manuel Rocha of Miami to 15 years successful situation past week for moving against nan U.S. authorities for decades for communist Cuba successful "clandestine intelligence-gathering missions."

Before nan judge handed down nan sentence, Rocha issued a connection connected his blameworthy plea, which was shared by Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., connected X.

"I americium a 73-year-old man. During my formative years successful college, I was heavy influenced by nan extremist authorities of nan day," Rocha said. "My heavy committedness astatine that clip to extremist societal alteration successful nan region led maine to nan eventual betrayal of my oath of loyalty to nan United States during my 2 decades successful nan State Department."

FORMER US AMBASSADOR, NSC OFFICIAL ADMITS TO ACTING AS SECRET AGENT FOR CUBA, LEARNS FATE: DOJ

Manuel Rocha, right, 73, a erstwhile American diplomat who served arsenic a U.S. ambassador to Bolivia was arrested and accused of secretly serving arsenic an supplier of Cuba’s government, according to The Associated Press. Left, erstwhile Cuban leader Fidel Castro. (Getty Images)

Rocha graduated from Yale University successful 1973 earlier going connected to gain his master’s grade successful nationalist management from Harvard University successful 1976, past a master’s grade successful world relations from Georgetown University successful 1978, according to nan State Department’s website archives.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Yale for a remark regarding Rocha’s statement. The assemblage declined to comment.

Rocha was a erstwhile U.S. Department of State worker who served connected nan National Security Council from 1994 to 1995, and arsenic U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002.

FORMER US AMBASSADOR, NSC MEMBER CHARGED WITH ACTING AS SECRET AGENT FOR COMMUNIST CUBA FOR DECADES: DOJ

Victor Manuel Rocha is seen posing for a photograph astatine a Miami agency successful January 2003. The erstwhile U.S. ambassador said Thursday he will plead blameworthy to charges of serving arsenic a concealed supplier for communist Cuba going backmost decades. (Raul Rubiera/Miami Herald/The Associated Press)

According to a criminal title from nan DOJ, Rocha utilized his employment successful nan State Department betwixt 1981 and 2002 to get classified accusation and impact U.S. overseas policy.

Following his employment astatine nan State Department, Rocha transferred successful 2006 arsenic an advisor to nan Commander of nan U.S. Southern Command, a associated bid of nan U.S. subject whose area of work includes Cuba.

The DOJ said that Rocha provided mendacious and misleading accusation to nan U.S. to support his concealed status, traveled extracurricular nan U.S. to meet pinch Cuban intelligence operatives and made mendacious and misleading statements to get recreation documents.

FORMER US AMBASSADOR ACCUSED OF SECRETLY WORKING FOR CUBA PLEADS NOT GUILTY

Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes hands pinch Victor Manuel Rocha, nan caller U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, during a ceremonial successful nan Goverment Palace successful La Paz, August 3, 2000.  (Reuters / DM/JP/HB)

After serving nan overseas service, he settled successful Miami arsenic a businessman successful nan backstage sector.

"Today, I nary longer spot nan world done nan extremist eyes of my youth," Rocha said successful his statement. "I near nan Government 22 years ago, moved to this awesome city, and dedicated nan remainder of my life to my family and nan acquisition of my children. My agelong and successful modulation to nan backstage assemblage culminated successful my becoming a apical world executive successful nan mining assemblage for good complete a decade.

"The latter, however, cannot erase nan harm done during my earlier profession moving for nan Government," he added.

Rocha told nan judge he takes afloat work for his actions and accepts nan punishment he has to pay.

FORMER US AMBASSADOR CALLED CASTRO THE 'COMANDANTE,' LABELED US 'THE ENEMY': DOJ

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 an FBI undercover employee. (Department of Justice via AP)

"Importantly, I americium making, and will proceed to make arsenic required, important amends done my unconditional collaboration to those I person betrayed," nan erstwhile ambassador said. "I cognize that my actions person caused awesome symptom to my family, erstwhile colleagues, and nan closest of friends. I inquire them each for their knowing and their forgiveness."

The judge accepted Rocha’s blameworthy plea to counts 1 and 2 of nan indictment, which charged him pinch colluding to enactment arsenic an supplier of a overseas authorities and colluding to defraud nan U.S. and acting arsenic an supplier of a overseas authorities without announcement arsenic required by law.

He was past sentenced to nan statutory maximum punishment of 15 years successful prison, a $500,000 fine, 3 years of supervised merchandise and a typical assessment. 

FORMER US AMBASSADOR ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF SECRETLY SERVING AS AGENT TO CUBA: REPORT

"Convicted spy Victor Manuel Rocha worked arsenic a spy for Communist #Cuba, while he served arsenic a United States Ambassador," Gimenez said successful a station connected X successful which he shared Rocha’s statement. "He is simply a traitor to our federation [and] must look nan MAXIMUM sentence. No 1 believes his bogus Statement of Allocution!"

Under nan position of nan parties’ plea agreement, Rocha must cooperate pinch nan U.S., including assisting pinch immoderate harm appraisal related to his activity connected behalf of nan Republic of Cuba. Rocha must relinquish each early status benefits, including pension payments, owed to him by nan U.S. based upon his erstwhile State Department employment. 

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He must besides delegate to nan U.S. immoderate profits that he whitethorn beryllium entitled to person successful relationship pinch immoderate publication relating to his criminal behaviour aliases his U.S. authorities service.

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Danielle Wallace and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.