US Moves to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Cuban Spy Victor Manuel Rocha
WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration is seeking to revoke the citizenship of convicted Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha.
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday said it has filed a civil denaturalization complaint against Rocha in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
According to the DOJ, Rocha, a Colombian native, was convicted of acting as “an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba.”
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said individuals who secretly work on behalf of foreign adversaries should not retain American citizenship.
“Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws,” Shumate said.
US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones described Rocha as “one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States,” noting that he had served as a US ambassador and senior government official while allegedly working covertly for Cuba for decades.
Quiñones said the civil denaturalization case is intended to “finish the job,” alleging that Rocha secured American citizenship through “lies, concealment, and betrayal.”
The DOJ said the complaint seeks to revoke Rocha’s naturalization based on admissions he made during criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973, several years before becoming a US citizen in 1978.
According to the department, Rocha falsely declared during the naturalization process that he had not committed undisclosed crimes, was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, did not support communism, and believed in the US Constitution and system of government.
Federal prosecutors charged Rocha in 2023 with multiple offences linked to spying for Cuba and passport fraud.
In April 2024, Rocha admitted that beginning in or around 1973, he secretly supported Cuba and its intelligence-gathering operations against the United States by serving as a covert agent for Cuban intelligence services.
The DOJ said Rocha pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence.
The department said it is pursuing seven separate counts aimed at revoking Rocha’s US citizenship, arguing that he was never eligible for naturalization because he committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony, supported communism, and concealed material facts related to his espionage activities.
