Former US diplomat confesses to working for Cuban intelligence
Photo: former US diplomat admitted to working for Cuban intelligence (GettyImages)
A former US diplomat, who served as the US ambassador to Bolivia, has pleaded guilty to working as a Cuban agent for over 40 years, informs BBC News.
73-year-old Victor Manuel Rocha has been accused of secretly transmitting information to the Cuban government, led by communists, since 1981 when he worked in the US State Department.
On Thursday, in a Miami court, he changed his initial plea of not guilty. Mr. Rocha, his lawyers, and prosecutors acknowledged that a plea deal had been reached.
Judge Beth Bloom asked him if he wanted to change his plea to guilty, to which he responded, "Your Honor, I agree."
He is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, acting as a foreign agent, wire fraud, and making false statements to obtain a US passport.
Evidence collected by investigators includes covert recordings where Mr. Rocha confesses to working for Cuba for decades, praises the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as "comandante," and refers to the United States as an "enemy."
Now, he and his legal team seem to have reached a similar conclusion, considering that a guilty plea was the wisest option for him. His sentencing will take place at a hearing on April 12.
