Former U.S. ambassador Rocha sentenced to 15 years for working as agent for Cuba
April 13 — Former U.S. ambassador Manuel Rocha has been sentenced to 15 years in prison sentence after pleading guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent for Cuba for decades.
Rocha, 73, who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, on Friday pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without giving notice to the United States.
U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom sentenced Rocha to five years for conspiracy and 10 years for acting as a foreign agent. He must also pay a $500,000 fine.
Per his plea deal, Rocha will cooperate with the U.S. government, including assisting with evaluating any compromises to national security relating to his work with Cuba. He also must forfeit all retirement benefits owed to him by the U.S. government.