The Justice Department says a former U.S. diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia is accused of serving as a covert agent for Cuban intelligence services since at least 1981.
By means ofJOSHUA GOODMAN Associated Press And ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
December 4, 2023, 11:00 AM
FILE – On August 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. saw an FBI seal on a wall. A former U.S. diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as ambassador to an agent of the Cuban government, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
The Associated Press
MIAMI– A former U.S. diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been accused of serving as a secret agent for the Cuban intelligence services for decades, the Justice Department said Monday.
Newly released court documents allege that Manuel Rocha engaged in “clandestine activities” on behalf of Cuba since at least 1981, including meeting with Cuban intelligence agents and providing false information to U.S. government officials.
The complaint, filed in federal court in Miami, accuses Rocha of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. The 73-year-old had a 25-year career as a US diplomat, including top posts in Bolivia, Argentina and the US Interests Division in Havana
He is due to appear in court later Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.