Federal prosecutors file civil complaint to revoke citizenship of former Ambassador who pleaded guilty to spying for Cuba

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida filed the civil complaint Thursday, alleging that Rocha lied under oath during his 1978 naturalization process by falsely affirming allegiance to the U.S. Constitution and denying any affiliation with Cuba's Communist Party. Federal law requires prosecutors to show convincing evidence that an individual attained citizenship illegally or through "concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation," a standard the government faces a high burden to meet, according to the Associated Press.

Rocha, who was born in Colombia and moved to New York City at age 10, first connected with Cuban intelligence agents in 1973 — five years before applying for citizenship — while attending a student program in Chile during the final period of President Salvador Allende's government, according to his plea agreement. He subsequently enrolled in master's programs at Harvard and Georgetown Universities and was later hired by the U.S. State Department, where he rose to serve as ambassador to Bolivia from 1997 to 2000 and held senior postings in Argentina, Mexico, the White House, and elsewhere in the U.S. government, as reported by both the AP and the Washington Examiner.

U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones described Rocha as "one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States" and characterized the denaturalization effort as "finishing the job." Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, quoted by the Washington Examiner, said "under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen."