DOJ: Longtime US Diplomat Spied for Cuba

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Facts

  • Manuel Rocha, a former US diplomat and ambassador to Bolivia who was arrested Friday, appeared in federal court Monday to face charges he served 'as a covert agent' and collected intelligence for the Republic of Cuba.1
  • In a statement, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said Rocha served as an agent of the Cuban government for more than 40 years, and he 'sought out and obtained positions' that would grant him access to 'non-public' information about US foreign policy.2
  • Rocha, 73, has been charged by the US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, violating the requirement that those who act on behalf of foreign governments register with the DOJ.3
  • He is also being charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent to defraud the US, and using a passport obtained through a false statement.4
  • After he was born in Columbia, Rocha grew up in New York City. He served as the top US diplomat in Argentina before he was appointed ambassador to Bolivia, serving in that post from 1999-2002.5

Sources: 1USA Today, 2Reuters, 3Al Jazeera, 4NBC and 5Forbes.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Daily Caller. The US government — administration to administration, regardless of political party — was clearly unaware that Rocha was betraying the country for more than four decades. At the very least someone should have realized that Rocha, who negatively impacted the 2002 presidential election in Bolivia, was deeply problematic and needed further investigation.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by ABC News. This arrest was a victory for the DOJ and FBI. They caught wind of Rocha’s betrayal of the US in November 2022 and it took just about a year to accumulate enough evidence to bring him in. During the investigation, the FBI was able to acquire vital intelligence that could help with future investigations or dealings with Cuba in the future.