Accused Cuba Spy Manuel Rocha, Former US Ambassador to Belize, Pleads 'Not Guilty' to Espionage Charges

Victor Manuel Rocha, former US ambassador to Belize, appeared in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the accusation that he is a Cuban spy. He also asked if he could not have to appear in court Friday, which is his scheduled arraignment.

A career diplomat working for the US Department of State, Manuel Rocha, is accused of providing Cuba information regarding US activities in his decades working for the US government. His charges include defrauding the United States and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. The former US ambassador is also charged with making false statements to obtain and use a US passport.

The Miami Herald pointed out that the Foreign Agents Registration Act requires those working under the control of foreign governments they should always notify the US Attorney General's office that they are doing so.

In entering his "not guilty" plea, Rocha admitted that he "fully understands the nature of the offenses" he is charged with. He also waived formal arraignment, which is when he makes the initial appearance in court to hear the charges.

Rocha was indicted last December by a grand jury, accusing him of acting as an agent of Cuba after he was arrested in a sting operation where he admitted to a government agent he had Cuban ties. He currently remains in federal detention and has been in custody since his arrest.

Alleged Cuba Spy Manuel Rocha Told Undercover US Agent That US Is 'the Enemy'

US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the case against Rocha is "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the US government by a foreign agent." The AG added that the accused Cuban spy was seeking high US government positions that "would provide him with access to non-public information and the ability to affect US foreign policy."

He was allegedly recruited by the Cuban spy agency, the Directorate of Intelligence, Cuba's own answer to the CIA, in 1973 while he was still working for the US State Department in Chile. He also held high-level security clearances, according to CBS News. This means that he had access to top-secret information.

When he was arrested, Rocha spoke with an undercover FBI agent posing as a fellow Cuban spy. The former US ambassador reportedly told the agent that the US was the "enemy," adding that "what we have done" was "enormous" and "more than a grand slam."

US Missed Clues, Red Flags, Regarding Accused Cuba Spy Manuel Rocha

"Ambassador Rocha," as he preferred to be called, previously held top posts in Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, and the White House. His discovery as an alleged Cuban spy shocked many in the government.

Former CIA operative Felix Rodriguez spoke with the Associated Press, admitting that there had been plenty of clues regarding Rocha's activities, including a tip from a defected Cuban Army lieutenant colonel who told him flat out that Rocha is a Cuban spy.

"No one believed him," admitted Rodriguez. "We all thought it was a smear."

As it also turned out, the AP reported that the CIA was aware that Fidel Castro had a "super mole" burrowed deep inside the US government as early as 1987. Many now believe that this refers to Rocha.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Victor Manuel Rocha, former US ambassador to Bolivia, accused of serving as agent of Cuba - CBS News