**Former U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Charged with Acting Illegally as a Foreign Agent for Cuba**
*Retired American diplomat faces espionage charges*
U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland announced on Monday that a potentially explosive espionage case has emerged with the arrest of Victor Manuel Rocha, the former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia. The 73-year-old has been charged with acting illegally as a foreign agent for the government of Cuba, after spending over 40 years spying for the Caribbean nation while rising through the ranks of the State Department.
### Espionage Case Unveiled
The case of Victor Manuel Rocha has been described as one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Rocha has been charged with one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, one count of conspiracy to do so, and a third count – the use of a passport obtained by a false statement. The charges were unsealed on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
### Covert Support for Cuba
The indictment alleges that Rocha has been secretly supporting Cuba and its intelligence-gathering mission against the United States since approximately 1981. By serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services, Rocha obtained and maintained employment in the U.S. government, granting him access to nonpublic information and classified documents, as well as the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy.
Rocha was apprehended as the result of a year-long undercover FBI operation. Undercover agents posing as Cuban operatives met with Rocha several times in the past year, where Rocha allegedly described a life that sounded like the plot of a spy thriller.
### Denial and Deception
The complaint highlighted several instances when Rocha lied under oath about his loyalty to the U.S. and denied working for any foreign entities. As recently as last Friday, Rocha denied ever having met with the Cuban intelligence agents, who in reality were undercover FBI agents.
Rocha is now facing charges, and a bond hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. According to the DOJ, more charges against Rocha are still to come.
### A Betrayal of Trust
Attorney General Merrick Garland has emphasized the significance of the case, stating that those who have the privilege of serving in the government of the United States are given an enormous amount of trust by the public. He warned that betraying 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.
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