Former US ambassador Manuel Rocha admits to spending decades spying for Cuba
The 73-year-old was secretly recorded bragging about his activities to an undercover FBI agent. He faces a lengthy prison sentence after indicating he will plead guilty to charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government.
Friday 1 March 2024 16:07, UK
A former US ambassador has admitted to spending decades spying for Cuba.
Manuel Rocha confessed he had acted as a secret agent for the communist regime in the since 1981.
The 73-year-old, who appeared in court with his hands and ankles shackled, had a lengthy career with the state department, including as US ambassador to Bolivia.
He also had stints at top posts in Argentina, Mexico and the US interests section in Havana, and briefly worked at the White House under Bill Clinton's administration in the 1990s.
Prosecutors described his actions as one of the most brazen betrayals in the history of the US foreign service.
It comes after he was secretly recorded by an undercover FBI agent describing the US as the "enemy" and bragging about serving as a spy.
He reportedly said: "What we have done... it's enormous... more than a Grand Slam."
Rocha, who is facing a lengthy prison sentence, told the court he would admit to federal counts of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government.
When asked by US District Court Judge Beth Bloom if he wished to change his plea to guilty, Rocha said: “I am in agreement” .
Prosecutors have agreed to drop 13 counts, including wire fraud and making false statements, in exchange.
He is due back in court on April 12 when he will formalise his guilty plea and be sentenced.
Details of what exactly Rocha did have not been revealed, but he is said to have passed on intelligence to Cuban officials.
Following his government work, Rocha, who liked to be known as “Ambassador Rocha”, spent time as a special adviser to the commander of the US Southern Command.
He also was a vocal Donald Trump supporter and Cuba hardliner - a persona the prosecution, and friends, believe was an act to hide his true allegiances.
Read more from Sky News:
Trump and Biden promise tough action on immigration
Company making millions from Gaza's misery
Crowds chant as Alexei Navalny funeral held
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Peter Lapp, who used to oversee FBI counterintelligence against Cuba from 1998 to 2005, said the resolution of the case would help the government shine a light on the country's penetration of US policy circles.
Rocha was charged with acting as a foreign agent, which carries a maximum term of five to ten years, instead of espionage, making it easier for prosecutors and the former diplomat to strike an agreement.
Mr Lapp said: "It's a win-win for both sides. He gets a significant payoff and the chance to see his family again, and the US will be able to conduct a full damage assessment that it wouldn't be able to do without his cooperation."
But the abrupt nature in which the case was wrapped up has drawn concern from critics that the spy may get a lighter sentence.
An investigation by the Associated Press found there were missed opportunities to catch Rocha over the years, including from a CIA operative who warned in 2006 that he was working as a double agent.
Separate intelligence revealed the US were aware as early as 1987 of a so-called “super mole” from Cuba deep in government apparatus - with some suspecting Rocha.