US Moves to Strip Ex-Ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha of Citizenship Over 40-Year Cuban Espionage

The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated legal proceedings to strip former ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha of his American citizenship, alleging he obtained it fraudulently while serving as a secret agent for Cuba for 40 years. Rocha, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Bolivia by President Bill Clinton in 2000, admitted to acting as an unregistered agent of the Cuban government since at least 1973, three years before he became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1978.

According to a civil complaint filed by the Justice Department, Rocha lied under oath during his naturalization process, denying any affiliation with the Communist Party of Cuba and disavowing support for communism—claims contradicted by his admitted activities. He began working for the State Department in 1981 and held multiple diplomatic posts, including in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Mexico City, while allegedly maintaining covert ties to Havana.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate stated the government would use the full weight of the law to revoke citizenship obtained through deception, emphasizing that no agent of a foreign adversary should retain American nationality. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones of the Southern District of Florida called Rocha one of the most prolific Cuban spies uncovered in U.S. history.

The Justice Department argues Rocha was ineligible for citizenship due to criminal conduct, false testimony, affiliation with the Cuban Communist Party, and lack of allegiance to U.S. constitutional principles. The civil case seeks to formally revoke his naturalization, even as Rocha remains imprisoned on related charges.

The court is expected to review the denaturalization complaint in the coming months, with proceedings likely to advance in the Southern District of Florida.