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Victor Manuel Rocha faces citizenship revocation over alleged immigration fraud

May 8, 2026 · Colombia

Victor Manuel Rocha faces citizenship revocation over alleged immigration fraud

Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia and State Department official, was convicted in 2024 of conspiring to act as an agent for Cuban intelligence services for over 50 years beginning in 1973. Rocha obtained U.S. citizenship in 1977-1978 through false statements, concealing his communist affiliations and espionage activities. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence. In May 2026, federal prosecutors filed a civil denaturalization complaint seeking to revoke his citizenship, alleging he fraudulently obtained naturalization by lying about his ties to Cuba and the Communist Party and concealing his decades-long work as a covert intelligence operative.

Timeline

1973Victor Manuel Rocha begins espionage activities for Cuban intelligence services
1977-1978Rocha obtains U.S. citizenship through naturalization, concealing communist affiliations and espionage activities
May 8, 2026Federal prosecutors file civil denaturalization complaint seeking to revoke Rocha's U.S. citizenship
2024Rocha pleads guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of Cuba's intelligence services
2024Rocha sentenced to 15 years in prison
2023Rocha arrested for espionage
1981Rocha joins the U.S. State Department

Sources

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