A previous Nationwide Protection Council member and U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, who admitted to secretly acting as an agent for the government of the Republic of Cuba, blames the radical politics pushed on him all through his formative higher education a long time for turning on his region.
A federal choose sentenced 73-calendar year-previous Victor Manuel Rocha of Miami to 15 a long time in jail final week for working versus the U.S. government for many years for communist Cuba in “clandestine intelligence-collecting missions.”
Just before the choose handed down the sentence, Rocha issued a assertion on his responsible plea, which was shared by Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., on X.
“I am a 73-year-previous person. During my formative years in university, I was heavily influenced by the radical politics of the working day,” Rocha explained. “My deep motivation at that time to radical social improve in the location led me to the eventual betrayal of my oath of loyalty to the United States during my two many years in the Point out Section.”
Previous US AMBASSADOR, NSC Official ADMITS TO Acting AS Secret AGENT FOR CUBA, LEARNS Destiny: DOJ
Manuel Rocha, ideal, 73, a former American diplomat who served as a U.S. ambassador to Bolivia was arrested and accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s federal government, in accordance to The Linked Press. Still left, former Cuban chief Fidel Castro. (Getty Illustrations or photos)
Rocha graduated from Yale University in 1973 ahead of going on to gain his master’s degree in general public administration from Harvard University in 1976, then a master’s diploma in intercontinental relations from Georgetown College in 1978, according to the Condition Department’s web page archives.
Fox Information Digital arrived at out to Yale for a remark about Rocha’s assertion. The college declined to remark.
Rocha was a previous U.S. Division of Condition worker who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995, and as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002.
Victor Manuel Rocha is noticed posing for a photo at a Miami workplace in January 2003. The previous U.S. ambassador mentioned Thursday he will plead guilty to costs of serving as a solution agent for communist Cuba heading again many years. (Raul Rubiera/Miami Herald/The Linked Push)
In accordance to a legal complaint from the DOJ, Rocha utilised his employment in the State Department amongst 1981 and 2002 to get categorised information and facts and have an impact on U.S. foreign coverage.
Adhering to his work at the Point out Section, Rocha transferred in 2006 as an advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, a joint command of the U.S. military services whose place of responsibility consists of Cuba.
The DOJ said that Rocha presented wrong and misleading information to the U.S. to manage his magic formula standing, traveled outdoors the U.S. to satisfy with Cuban intelligence operatives and created fake and misleading statements to obtain vacation paperwork.
Previous US AMBASSADOR ACCUSED OF SECRETLY Functioning FOR CUBA PLEADS NOT Guilty
Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes arms with Victor Manuel Rocha, the new U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, for the duration of a ceremony in the Goverment Palace in La Paz, August 3, 2000. (Reuters / DM/JP/HB)
Soon after serving the overseas support, he settled in Miami as a businessman in the personal sector.
“Now, I no lengthier see the world by the radical eyes of my youth,” Rocha claimed in his assertion. “I left the Govt 22 several years back, moved to this fantastic city, and committed the relaxation of my lifetime to my household and the education and learning of my youngsters. My prolonged and effective transition to the private sector culminated in my getting a top rated worldwide government in the mining sector for very well above a decade.
“The latter, nonetheless, simply cannot erase the injury carried out in the course of my earlier occupation operating for the Governing administration,” he added.
Rocha told the judge he will take comprehensive duty for his steps and accepts the penalty he has to shell out.
Previous US AMBASSADOR Termed CASTRO THE ‘COMANDANTE,’ LABELED US ‘THE ENEMY’: DOJ
This graphic delivered by the Justice Office and contained in the affidavit in aid of a prison grievance demonstrates Victor Manuel Rocha during a meeting with an FBI undercover staff. (Section of Justice by means of AP)
“Importantly, I am earning, and will carry on to make as required, significant amends by way of my unconditional collaboration to people I have betrayed,” the former ambassador reported. “I know that my actions have brought on great pain to my family, former colleagues, and the closest of good friends. I question them all for their understanding and their forgiveness.”
The choose accepted Rocha’s responsible plea to counts 1 and 2 of the indictment, which charged him with conspiring to act as an agent of a overseas authorities and conspiring to defraud the U.S. and acting as an agent of a international government without recognize as essential by regulation.
He was then sentenced to the statutory maximum penalty of 15 several years in prison, a $500,000 wonderful, 3 years of supervised launch and a particular evaluation.
Previous US AMBASSADOR ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF SECRETLY SERVING AS AGENT TO CUBA: REPORT
“Convicted spy Victor Manuel Rocha worked as a spy for Communist #Cuba, though he served as a United States Ambassador,” Gimenez reported in a write-up on X in which he shared Rocha’s assertion. “He is a traitor to our nation [and] must deal with the Utmost sentence. No one particular believes his bogus Statement of Allocution!”
Less than the terms of the parties’ plea agreement, Rocha must cooperate with the U.S., like helping with any destruction assessment associated to his operate on behalf of the Republic of Cuba. Rocha should relinquish all future retirement gains, such as pension payments, owed to him by the U.S. primarily based upon his former Point out Office work.
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He will have to also assign to the U.S. any gains that he might be entitled to obtain in connection with any publication relating to his legal perform or his U.S. governing administration provider.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Danielle Wallace and Stepheny Cost contributed to this report.
