According to sources, former US ambassador Manuel Rocha, 73, has been arrested in Miami on Friday and is accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba's government. The arrest came as part of a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation. The criminal complaint against Rocha alleges that he worked to promote the Cuban government's interests without registering with the Justice Department, as required by federal law. The details of the case are expected to be made public at a court appearance on Monday.

Rocha, who has a 25-year diplomatic career, served under both Democratic and Republican administrations. The majority of his career was spent in Latin America during the Cold War. He also had postings in Italy, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Rocha worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council and served as ambassador to Bolivia. During his time in Bolivia, he directly intervened in the 2002 presidential race, warning the Bolivian electorate that the US would cut off assistance if former coca grower Evo Morales was elected. This move angered Bolivians and gave Morales a last-minute boost, leading to his eventual election.

Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class home in New York City. He obtained multiple liberal arts degrees from prestigious universities such as Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown before joining the foreign service in 1981. Rocha's career also included a stint at the US Interests Section in Cuba during a period when the US lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro's communist government.

Following his retirement from the State Department, Rocha ventured into the business world. He served as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic, which was partly owned by Canada's Barrick Gold. In recent years, he held senior roles at various companies, including XCoal, a Pennsylvania-based coal exporter, Clover Leaf Capital, a company facilitating mergers in the cannabis industry, and law firm Foley & Lardner. He also held positions at Spanish public relations firms Llorente & Cuenca. While XCoal and Clover Leaf Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Foley & Lardner stated that Rocha left the firm in August.

Rocha's wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, declined to comment when contacted by the Associated Press. The Justice Department also refused to provide any comments regarding the case. It remains unclear if Rocha has legal representation at this time.