The federal government will not seek restitution for a former U.S. diplomat who acted as a spy for the Cuban government for decades.
This decision was made at a federal court hearing on Friday, where prosecutors said they could not directly connect Manuel Rocha’s actions to specific victims.
Rocha, 73, who pleaded guilty in May to one count of acting as an unlawful agent of a foreign government and one count of conspiracy, was arrested late last year. His espionage activities spanned more than five decades, during which he held important diplomatic positions within the United States government.
During Friday’s hearing, the judge referred to letters from Francisco Chaviano González, a Cuban dissident and one of Cuba’s longest-serving political prisoners, who detailed the damage inflicted by Rocha.
Despite FBI interviews with Gonzalez, prosecutors were unable to find a direct link between Rocha and any specific victim, leading to the decision not to impose restitution.
The ruling has sparked outrage in Rosa María Payá, whose father, Oswaldo Payá, was a prominent Cuban political activist and critic of the Castro regime.
Oswaldo Payá died in Havana almost 12 years ago, and his daughter is suing Rocha, believing that information he provided to the Cuban government played a role in her father’s death.
“We are outraged,” Rosa Payá said. “The Inter-American Commission of the Organization of American States found the Cuban state – Rocha’s employer – responsible for that murder.”
“At the Justice Department we have zero tolerance for anyone’s espionage activity,” a prosecutor said after Friday’s hearing.
Rocha was sentenced to 15 years in prison in April after authorities said he served as a secret agent for communist Cuba for decades, in what prosecutors described as one of the most brazen and enduring betrayals in the history of the U.S. foreign service. USA
The former American diplomat confessed to these charges, admitting to having worked as a spy for the Cuban government for more than five decades.
“Your actions were a direct attack on our democracy. You turned your back on the country that gave you everything,” a judge told Rocha in April.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking from Washington, announced the charges against Rocha in December, saying Rocha used his positions within the U.S. government to support Cuba’s intelligence-gathering mission against the United States. US
“The complaint alleges that Rocha sought and used his positions within the U.S. government to support Cuba’s clandestine intelligence gathering mission against the United States,” Garland said. “He told the undercover that his efforts to infiltrate the US government were quite meticulous, disciplined and greatly strengthened the revolution.”
Rocha, who served as a U.S. diplomat for two decades, including in senior positions in Bolivia and Argentina, came under FBI scrutiny after information emerged alleging his involvement as an undercover agent for Cuba’s intelligence service.
According to federal authorities, Rocha acknowledged his role as an undercover agent, even referring to the United States as “the enemy” during recorded conversations.
After being sentenced, Rocha asked his friends and family for forgiveness.
“I take full responsibility and accept the penalty,” he said.
Federal authorities have been conducting a confidential damage assessment that could take years to complete. The State Department said Friday that it would continue to work with the intelligence community “to fully evaluate the foreign policy and national security implications of these charges.”
“I really doubt that all due diligence has been done,” Rosa Payá said.
In addition to his prison time, Rocha was also sentenced by a judge to pay $500,000 in fines.
Read Rocha’s waiver of appearance for Friday’s restitution hearing in the document below:
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