US diplomat turned Cuban spy, 73, reveals he was radicalized at YALE after being plucked from Harlem projects and gifted a scholarship - as he finally makes huge admission after being sentenced to 15 years in prison

A former US ambassador who pleaded guilty to spying for Cuba says he was radicalized while studying at Yale university. 

Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in December in Miami and accused of gathering intelligence for the rogue communist state since 1981.

His activities came to light after an undercover sting operation where he detailed his clandestine activities for Havana and praised Fidel Castro. 

While being sentenced on Friday to 15 years behind bars, Rocha told the court that it was his time at Yale University that radicalized him into becoming a spy. 

In a statement, Rocha said: 'During my formative years in college, I was heavily influenced by the radical politics of the day.'

Victor Manuel Rocha, seen here, was arrested in December in Miami and accused of gathering intelligence for the rogue communist state since 1981

Rocha, seen here with his wife Karla, was arrested in December in Miami and accused of gathering intelligence for the rogue communist state since 1981

Karla Wittkop, wife of Rocha (left) and lawyer Jacqueline Arango (right), leaves the James L. King Federal Court in Miami, Florida, on December 4, 2023

'My deep commitment at that time to radical social change in the region led me to the eventual betrayal of my oath of loyalty to the United States during my two decades in the State Department.

'Today I no longer see the world through the radical eyes of my youth. My long and successful transition to the private sector culminated in my becoming a top international executive in the mining sector for well over a decade. 

'The latter, however, cannot erase the damage done during my earlier career working for the Government. 

'I take fully responsibility for that and accept the penalty I must pay. I am making significant amends through my unconditional collaboration to those I have betrayed.'

Rocha was born in Colombia and moved to New York City at the age of 10, living in Harlem with his widowed mother and two siblings. 

According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, his mother worked in a sweatshop and the family got by on food stamps. 

In 1965 he won a scholarship to attend The Taft School, an elite boarding school in Connecticut.

He went on to study at Yale where he graduated with honors with a degree in Latin American studies and then on to graduate work at Harvard and Georgetown. 

He initially pleaded not guilty in February to charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government, but later accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors in March 

Rocha bragged to an FBI agent posing as a Cuban intelligence officer that the U.S. was 'the enemy' and described his decades-long assignment as a 'grand slam' 

Rocha served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 in the administration of president Bill Clinton 

Rocha joined the State Department in 1981 and rose through the ranks as a career diplomat, also serving in posts in Havana, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, the Dominican Republic and Washington.

He began aiding Havana as a covert agent of Cuba's General Directorate of Intelligence (DGI) in 1981, and his secret activities continued until his arrest.

Rocha served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 in the administration of president Bill Clinton and was the ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 under Clinton and George W. Bush. 

He also served as an advisor to the US military command responsible for Cuba.

Rocha left national service in 2006 and later served as an advisor to the US Southern Command, which oversees Cuba, until 2012.  

Rocha was arrested in December for what US officials called 'one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent.'

The father-of-two diplomat appointed by Bill Clinton was living in the open in Florida with his graphic designer wife Karla Wittkop Rocha when he was charged.

He initially pleaded not guilty in February to charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government, but later accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors in March.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, announcing Rocha's arrest in December, said he had 'repeatedly referred to the United States as 'the enemy'' and 'repeatedly bragged about the significance of his efforts.' 

Rocha was born in Colombia and moved to New York City at the age of 10, living in Harlem with his widowed mother and two siblings 

Bolivian President Hugo Banzer shakes hands with Rocha, the new U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia, during a ceremony in the Government Palace in La Paz, August 3, 2000 

Bolivian acting President Jorge Quiroga (L) chats with Manuel Rocha, Ambassador of the Unites States in the vice presidency office in La Paz, July 11, 2001 

'Rocha always kept his status as a Cuban agent secret in order to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity,' a criminal complaint reads. 

The agent contacted Rocha via WhatsApp claiming to be a representative of 'your friends in Havana.' 

The pair met multiple times, including once at a food court, where he was asked if he was still 'with' Cuba. 

His response was 'angry,' and he replied: 'It's like questioning my manhood.' 

He admitted traveling to Havana in 2016 or 2017 to meet with his handlers and asked the undercover agent to send 'my warmest regards to the Direccion,' referring to the DGI, the secret intelligence agency of Cuba.

Rocha told an undercover agent that the rules for Cuban spies included referring to Havana as 'the island' and to adopt the personality as political conservative in the US. 

Attorney General Merrick Garland, seen here, said he had 'repeatedly referred to the United States as 'the enemy'' and 'repeatedly bragged about the significance of his efforts'

The father-of-two diplomat appointed by Bill Clinton was living in the open in Florida with his graphic designer wife Karla Wittkop Rocha, seen here, when he was charged

At the time of his initial arrest, it was reported that Republican Maria Elvira Salazar returned Rocha's $750 donation to her campaign. 

In December, a former colleague of Rocha's, John Feeley, told The Washington Post that the spy was 'charming' and 'ambitious.' Feeley described him as an expert in Latin American affairs. 

Around the time of his arrest, Feeley said that Rocha had 'gone full-on Donald Trump.' 'It was the perfect cover,' Feeley said. 

Rocha was sentenced to five years for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and ten years for acting as a foreign agent to be served consecutively.

Numerous protesters were seen outside the courthouse in Miami on Friday, demanding the 'maximum sentence' for Rocha. 

Judge Beth Bloom told Rocha on Friday: 'You turned your back on this country over and over again,' and said she would impose 'the maximum penalty permitted by law,' after a three-and-a-half-hour hearing in Miami.