Victor Manuel Rocha was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined for leaking information to the Cuban government
Victor Manuel Rocha, former US ambassador to Bolivia, was sentenced on Friday (April 12, 2024) to 15 years in prison on espionage charges. He must also pay a $500,000 fine for leaking sensitive information to the Cuban government while serving the U.S. government.
In federal court in Miami, Rocha pleaded guilty to conspiring on behalf of a foreign government since 1981. The former diplomat was born in Colombia and obtained US citizenship in 1978.
In December 2023, US Attorney General Merrick Garland advertiser What did Rocha do? “One of the most far-reaching and longest infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent.”.
Prosecutors stated that they discovered that Rocha was an undercover agent after an undercover operation by the FBI (Federal Investigation Department).
In a conversation with an undercover FBI agent, the American diplomat praised Cuban leader Fidel Castro and referred to the United States as… “Enemies”according to the indictment.
Before becoming US Ambassador to Bolivia, Rocha has been deployed in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Argentina.
After completing his career as ambassador, he served in Southern Command, the Department of Defense mission responsible for coordinating the cooperation of U.S. forces in Latin countries, including Cuba.
