DOJ Sues to Strip Citizenship from Convicted Cuban Spy

The United States Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to revoke the American citizenship of Victor Manuel Rocha. The government alleges that Rocha, a native of Colombia, obtained his citizenship in 1978 through fraud and concealment. Specifically, the complaint includes seven counts asserting that Rocha lied under penalty of perjury about his support for communism and his affiliation with the Communist Party of Cuba.

Rocha is a former U.S. Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he began spying for the Republic of Cuba in 1973, five years before becoming a citizen. He is currently serving a 15-year sentence after pleading guilty in April 2024 to defrauding the United States and conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government.

Officials from the Department of Justice described the move as an effort to preserve the integrity of the naturalization process. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones characterized Rocha as one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States, stating that the civil case is about finishing the job by removing the privilege of citizenship while Rocha remains in prison.