MIAMI (AP) — A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s authorities, The Related Press has realized.
Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a felony grievance and extra particulars in regards to the case are anticipated to be made public at a court docket look Monday, stated two individuals who spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to debate an ongoing federal investigation.
One of many individuals stated the Justice Division case accuses Rocha of working to advertise the Cuban authorities’s pursuits. Federal legislation requires individuals doing the political bidding of a overseas authorities or entity contained in the U.S. to register with the Justice Division, which lately has stepped up its felony enforcement of illicit overseas lobbying.
The Justice Division declined to remark. It was not instantly clear if Rocha had a lawyer and a legislation agency the place he beforehand labored stated it was not representing him. His spouse hung up when contacted by the AP.
Rocha’s 25-year diplomatic profession was spent below each Democratic and Republican administrations, a lot of it in Latin America in the course of the Chilly Struggle, a interval of generally heavy-handed U.S. political and navy insurance policies. His diplomatic postings included a stint on the U.S. Pursuits Part in Cuba throughout a time when the U.S. lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro’s communist authorities.
Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class house in New York Metropolis and went on to acquire a succession of liberal arts levels from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown earlier than becoming a member of the overseas service in 1981.
He was the highest U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000 as a decade-long forex stabilization program backed by Washington was unraveling below the burden of giant overseas debt and stagnant development, triggering a political disaster that will see the South American nation cycle by means of 5 presidents in two weeks.
At his subsequent put up as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened instantly into the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks forward of the vote that the U.S. would reduce off help to the poor South American nation if it have been to elect former coca grower Evo Morales.
“I need to remind the Bolivian voters that in the event that they vote for many who need Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that can significantly jeopardize any future assist to Bolivia from the USA,″ Rocha stated in a speech that was broadly interpreted as a an try to maintain U.S. dominance within the area.
The gambit labored however three years later Bolivians elected Morales anyway and the leftist chief would expel Rocha’s successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting “civil battle.”
Rocha additionally served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and labored as a Latin America skilled for the Nationwide Safety Council.
Rocha’s spouse, Karla Wittkop Rocha, wouldn’t remark when contacted by the AP. “I don’t want to speak to you,” she stated earlier than hanging up.
Following his retirement from the State Division, Rocha started a second profession in enterprise, serving because the president of a gold mine within the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold.
Extra not too long ago, he’s held senior roles at XCoal, a Pennsylvania-based coal exporter; Clover Leaf Capital, an organization shaped to facilitate mergers within the hashish trade; legislation agency Foley & Lardner and Spanish public relations companies Llorente & Cuenca.
“Our agency stays dedicated to transparency and can intently monitor the state of affairs, cooperating totally with the authorities if any data turns into accessible to us,” Dario Alvarez, CEO of Llorente & Cuenca’s U.S. operations, stated in an e mail.
XCoal and Clover Leaf Capital didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Foley & Lardner stated Rocha left the legislation agency in August.
Tucker reported from Washington.
___ Contact AP’s world investigative workforce at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/ideas/
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