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A former career American diplomat was charged with serving as a secret agent for communist Cuba going back decades in what prosecutors portrayed as one of the most brazen and long-running betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service.
Manuel Rocha wept as he sat handcuffed in Miami federal court on charges that he engaged in “clandestine activity” on Cuba’s behalf since at least 1981 — the year he joined the U.S. foreign service — including by meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to U.S. government officials about his contacts.
The complaint unsealed Monday is short on specifics of how Rocha may have assisted Cuba. But it provides a vivid case study of what American officials say are long-standing efforts by Cuba and its notoriously sophisticated intelligence services to target U.S. government officials who can be flipped.
“This action exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “To betray that trust by falsely pledging loyalty to the United States while serving a foreign power is a crime that will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”
The 73-year-old Rocha, whose two-decade career as a U.S. diplomat included top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, was arrested by the FBI at his Miami home Friday. He was ordered held following Monday’s brief court appearance pending a bond hearing Wednesday. His attorney declined to comment.
The Justice Department did not reveal how Rocha attracted the attention of Cuba’s intelligence operatives nor did it describe what, if any, sensitive information he may have provided while working for the State Department and in a lucrative post-government career that included a stint as a special adviser to the commander of U.S. Southern Command.
Instead, the case relies largely on what prosecutors say were Rocha’s own admissions, made over the past year to an undercover FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence operative named “Miguel.”
Rocha praised the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as “Comandante,” branded the U.S. the “enemy” and bragged about his service for more than 40 years as a Cuban mole in the heart of U.S. foreign policy circles, the complaint says.
John Feeley, who ended a long diplomatic career serving as U.S. ambassador to Panama, said he was surprised how his mentor, who had served administrations of both parties, had so fully embraced Trump’s politics.
Washington and Havana restored diplomatic relations in late 2014 after a half-century of Cold War acrimony, though the Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Cuba and, in 2021, redesignated it a state sponsor of terrorism. The Biden administration has moved more gingerly to restore some Obama-era concessions.
Rocha’s service to Cuba may have gone back even earlier than the start of his U.S. diplomatic career.
Rocha also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council.
Criminal cases against American officials accused of doing Cuba’s bidding are rare but not unprecedented. A former State Department official, Walter Kendall Myers, was sentenced in 2010 to life in prison for providing classified information to Cuba, and Ana Belen Montes, a former U.S. defense intelligence analyst who was convicted of spying for Cuba, was released from prison in January after a lengthy sentence.
But of all the spy scandals in the last 40 years, Rocha is believed to be the first member of America’s elite foreign service to have been accused of betraying their oath, said Kevin Whitaker, a former U.S. ambassador to Colombia.
“If this is true, Rocha has stained the institution of the foreign service,” he said. “It’s infuriating.”
Conclusion:
The case against Manuel Rocha serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining trust and loyalty in the foreign service. While Rocha’s betrayal may have gone undetected for decades, the Justice Department’s investigation has shed light on the lengths to which Cuban intelligence services will go to target U.S. government officials.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How long has Manuel Rocha been accused of working for Cuban intelligence?
A: The Justice Department alleges that Rocha began working for Cuban intelligence in 1981, when he joined the U.S. foreign service.
Q: What were the allegations against Rocha?
A: The complaint alleges that Rocha engaged in “clandestine activity” on Cuba’s behalf, including meeting with Cuban intelligence operatives and providing false information to U.S. government officials.
Q: What is the significance of this case?
A: This case is significant because it highlights the extent to which Cuban intelligence services have targeted U.S. government officials and the lengths to which they will go to achieve their goals.