DOJ moves to revoke ex-diplomat’s U.S. citizenship

May 9, 2026

Summary

Justice Department sought to revoke Victor Manuel Rocha’s citizenship after his guilty plea in a Cuba spying case.

Why this matters

The case adds to the consequences for a former U.S. diplomat who admitted working for Cuba for decades. It also shows how the government can seek to revoke citizenship when it alleges naturalization was obtained through false statements.

The Justice Department asked a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida on Thursday to revoke the U.S. citizenship of former U.S. Ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha, alleging he obtained naturalization by making false statements.

In the complaint, the department said Rocha falsely stated during the naturalization process that he had not knowingly committed a crime for which he had not been arrested, had no affiliation with the Communist Party, and believed in the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. form of government. “None of these were true,” the filing states.

Rocha, a Colombia native, served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 and held State Department posts in Bolivia, Argentina, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Honduras, and Washington.

He was charged in December 2023 with acting as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence service while serving in the State Department. Prosecutors said he used access to classified information and foreign policy influence to benefit Cuba.

In 2024, Rocha pleaded guilty to conspiracy and defrauding the U.S. government, admitting he began serving as a secret agent for Cuba in 1973. He is serving a 15-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors said in the new filing that Rocha lied on naturalization paperwork he submitted in the late 1970s, which allowed him to obtain legal status in 1978. The government argued he was not eligible for citizenship because of his ties to Cuba’s government and because he committed perjury during his naturalization examination.

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