US indicts former ambassador on espionage charges

The US Justice Department has indicted former ambassador to Bolivia Victor Manuel Rocha on charges of spying for Cuba's General Intelligence Directorate since 1981.

Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was indicted on multiple federal charges, including acting as an unauthorized foreign agent and using a false passport, the U.S. Justice Department announced on December 4. Rocha was the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002.

"We allege that for more than 40 years, Rocha acted as an agent of the Cuban government , seeking to assume positions within the U.S. government to gain access to classified information and influence U.S. foreign policy," said Attorney General Merrick Garland.

US officials accused Rocha of "acting as an undercover agent for the Cuban General Intelligence Directorate since 1981" and continuing to do so until his arrest. Rocha admitted to working for Havana during a series of meetings in 2022 and 2023 with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the Cuban General Intelligence Directorate.

Cuba has not yet commented on the information.

Mr. Victor Manuel Rocha answers the media in La Paz, Bolivia in July 2001. Photo: AFP

Rocha, a Colombian-American, was arrested on December 1 and appeared in federal court in Miami, Florida on December 4. US media described Rocha crying in court and not entering a plea.

Rocha worked at the US State Department from 1981 to 2002. He gradually rose through the ranks and held positions in the capitals of Cuba, Argentina, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. He was also a member of the White House National Security Council in 1994-1995 and an advisor to the commander of the US Southern Command from 2006-2012.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he could not provide details about the ongoing investigation. "In the coming weeks, we will work with our partners in the intelligence community to assess whether this matter has long-term national security implications," Miller said.

Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, AFP )

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