Victor Manuel Rocha faces citizenship revocation over alleged immigration fraud
May 8, 2026
Country of origin: Colombia

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
Sources
- Justice Department Moves to Denaturalize 12 Individuals for Concealing Terrorist Support, War Crimes, Espionage, Sexual Abuse, and More
justice.gov·May 8, 2026·archived copy
- EXCLUSIVE: U.S. government wants to strip citizenship from American diplomat turned Cuban spy
nbcmiami.com·May 8, 2026·archived copy
- Feds seek to strip U.S. citizenship of ex-ambassador who spied for Cuba
local10.com·May 8, 2026·archived copy
- Justice Department Sues to Revoke US Citizenship of Convicted Cuban Spy
justice.gov·May 7, 2026·archived copy
- Who is Victor Manuel Rocha, former US diplomat who will lose US citizenship over spying for Cuba? - The Times of India
- Justice Department sues to revoke U.S. citizenship of convicted Cuban spy
- US Moves to Revoke Citizenship of Convicted Cuban Spy Victor Manuel Rocha
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