Former United States Ambassador to Bolivia, Victor Manuel Rocha, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for espionage against the American government, acting as an agent for Cuba.
Miami-based US District Judge Beth Bloom handed down the sentence on Friday after Rocha pleaded guilty to two counts, including acting as a foreign government’s agent.
In addition to the prison term, Rocha was fined $500,000, the maximum penalty allowed.
In December, the former US Ambassador was indicted in a case that Attorney General Merrick Garland described as “one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the US government by a foreign agent.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen remarked on the gravity of Rocha’s actions, stating, “Today’s plea and sentencing brings to an end more than four decades of betrayal and deceit by the defendant.”
“Rocha admitted to acting as an agent of the Cuban government at the same time he held numerous positions of trust in the U.S. government, a staggering betrayal of the American people and an acknowledgement that every oath he took to the United States was a lie.”
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Rocha, who served as ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, held various high-ranking positions in multiple embassies and even in the White House during the Bill Clinton administration, amassing over 20 years of public service.
