The Department of Justice (DOJ) moved to strip the citizenship from a former ambassador who was working for Cuba.
According to the DOJ, Victor Manuel Rocha, a native of Colombia, served as an unregistered agent for Cuba. The United States is now seeking an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization. When he applied for naturalization beginning in 1973, he “represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S.”
The DOJ said none of the statements were true.
In 2023, Rocha was charged with several counts connected to spying for Cuba and passport fraud. He later admitted that he secretly supported Cuba and its intelligence gathering against the United States and served as its agent. The DOJ says that Rocha is not qualified for naturalization because he “committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony during his naturalization examination, was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S., was affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, and advocated for communism.”
“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. “Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws. 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.”
