Former American ambassador arrested and accused of being agent for Cuba

A former U.S. ambassador was arrested and accused of secretly working for the Cuban government, newly unsealed court documents revealed on Monday.

Victor Manuel Rocha, the 73-year-old one-time U.S. envoy to Bolivia, was expected to make his first appearance before a federal judge on Monday following his apprehension in Miami on Friday, authorities said.

A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is on Aug. 3, 2007 inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, DC.A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is on Aug. 3, 2007 inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C.Mandel NGan / AFP via Getty Images file

He is being accused of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests, which is not a crime unless it’s done on U.S. soil without registering with the Justice Department as a foreign lobbyist.

Rocha was accused of allegedly working on behalf of Havana from November 1981 to now.

He faces at least three criminal counts: Conspiracy to act as foreign agent to defraud the United States; acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government; and use of passport obtained by false statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Leave a Comment