Former US diplomat to be sentenced today after pleading guilty to spying for Cuba

Former US Ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, is expected to plead guilty to federal charges of acting as a secret foreign agent of Cuba. The 73-year-old diplomat is facing multiple charges, including acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, wire fraud, and making false statements to investigators.

Rocha, who served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, announced his intention to plead guilty at a hearing in Miami in February. This comes after he had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges earlier that month.

Prosecutors have alleged that Rocha acted as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services for decades. They claim that during his time as a political officer at the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic, he had special responsibility for Cuba. In meetings with an undercover FBI employee posing as a member of Cuban intelligence, Rocha reportedly referred to the US as “the enemy” and praised Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro.

One of the most serious allegations against Rocha is his involvement in the “knock down of the small planes” incident, where Cuba shot down two unarmed airplanes operated by members of Brothers to the Rescue, a US-based group opposed to Castro’s government, resulting in the death of four men.

Rocha’s sentencing is scheduled for Friday, where more details about the charges he will plead guilty to are expected to be revealed. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.