Former US ambassador, Manuel Rocha, accused of engaging in espionage for Cuba

A former US diplomat, Manuel Rocha, has been charged with being an agent of the Cuban government for over 40 years. The 73-year-old is accused of assisting Cuba in gathering intelligence against the United States since 1981. Court papers indicate that Rocha referred to the US as "the enemy" and claimed that his work as a secret agent "strengthened the Revolution." It remains unclear whether he has legal representation. Rocha was arrested in Miami last Friday as a result of an undercover operation lasting more than a year. US Attorney General Merrick Garland described the case as one of the most significant and enduring infiltrations of the US government by a foreign agent. Rocha, who was born in Colombia and raised in New York City, served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 1999 to 2002 and occupied various government positions, including at the National Security Council, for 25 years. Court documents reveal that he made numerous trips to Cuba and assisted Cuban officials in advancing their interests. The charging document also outlines an FBI operation that led to his arrest. In November 2022, an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of Cuban Intelligence Services contacted Rocha via WhatsApp with a message from "your friends from Havana." Rocha allegedly agreed to multiple meetings with the agent, including one at a secluded food court. During these encounters, Rocha disclosed information about his time as a secret agent for Cuba's intelligence agency, according to the charging document. Prosecutors claim that he celebrated his involvement with Cuban intelligence services and expressed a desire to protect their achievements. Additionally, Rocha is accused of providing false information to the US government and making deceptive statements to obtain travel documents.