DOJ seeks to strip convicted Cuban spy of U.S. citizenship

The Justice Department has filed a civil complaint seeking to strip a convicted Cuban spy of his U.S. citizenship, continuing the government’s legal pursuit of one of the most prolific Cuban espionage cases uncovered in the United States.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, targets Victor Manuel Rocha, a Colombian-born former U.S. ambassador who admitted in criminal proceedings to secretly working on behalf of Cuba’s intelligence services for decades. The Justice Department is seeking to revoke his naturalization on seven separate counts.

“Under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said in a statement. “Any individual who lied during the naturalization process to gain a foothold in this country will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”

According to the complaint, Rocha began spying for Cuba in 1973 — five years before he naturalized as an American citizen in 1978. When he applied for citizenship, Rocha swore under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested, was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, had not advocated for or furthered the interests of communism, and believed in the U.S. Constitution. Prosecutors allege none of those statements were true.

Rocha was charged in December 2023 with counts related to spying for the Republic of Cuba and passport fraud. In April 2024, he pleaded guilty and admitted to serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services, conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and to defraud the United States, and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and is currently serving that term.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said the denaturalization complaint is intended to complete the government’s effort to hold Rocha accountable. “This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job,” Reding Quiñones said. “A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”

The denaturalization complaint alleges Rocha obtained citizenship through lies, concealment and misrepresentation, including his failure to disclose his affiliation with the Cuban Communist Party and his ongoing intelligence work against the United States.

The case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Justice Department’s Denaturalization Unit and the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office are handling the litigation. The allegations in the complaint have not been adjudicated.

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