Justice Department Seeks to Revoke Citizenship from Convicted Cuban Spy
The Justice Department is working to revoke the citizenship of Manuel Rocha, a convicted Cuban spy who clandestinely transmitted classified information to Havana during his short tenure as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia in the early 2000s.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors initiated a civil disbarment complaint against Rocha, claiming that his long-standing support for the Cuban government against the U.S. justifies stripping him of his citizenship.
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not just any operative. He is a former U.S. ambassador and government official who has admitted to covertly working for the Cuban regime for decades,” stated Jason Redding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
“This civil denaturalization lawsuit aims to address this issue,” Quiñones added. “No individual who secretly serves communist Cuba should enjoy the privileges of U.S. citizenship, even while incarcerated.”
At 75, Rocha has been labeled by the Justice Department as one of the “most prolific Cuban spies” uncovered in the U.S. He was arrested in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges against him.
Rocha also served briefly as Argentina’s chargé d’affaires during the Clinton administration and has reportedly backed the Cuban government for around 40 years.
Documents reveal that Havana instructed Rocha to “live a normal life” and maintain a façade as a “right-wing person.” At one point, he referred to the United States as an “enemy” to undercover agents.
His suspicions of espionage on behalf of Cuba date back to 1973, which is five years prior to his naturalization as a U.S. citizen in 1978.
The Justice Department pointed out multiple reasons for Rocha’s ineligibility for naturalization, including illegal acts, providing false testimony during his naturalization interview, a lack of adherence to the principles of the U.S. Constitution, and a disregard for the order and well-being of the United States.
Revoking citizenship is a rare and complicated process in the United States.
However, such incidents have reportedly increased under President Trump; during his first term, the average count rose to 42 cases annually, according to research by Irina Manta, a law professor at Hofstra University.
For comparison, the Biden administration averaged around 16 cases per year from 1990 to 2017, while the Department of Justice filed about 11 cases yearly.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate emphasized, “Under no circumstances should agents of a foreign enemy be allowed to retain the title of American citizen.” He added, “Our mission is clear: to eliminate these fraudsters and maintain the integrity of the naturalization process for law-abiding citizens.”
“Anyone who deceives during the naturalization process to gain entry into this country will face the full consequences from the Department of Justice.”
