Once the Rocha pleaded not guilty off prison recently to fifteen federal counts , FBI and State dept. investigators have been attempting to discover the fresh new case’s greatest lost piece: exactly what the longtime diplomat years analysis, challenging by the tend to-murky cleverness world, that is anticipated to need age.

S. counterintelligence authorities, Cuban cleverness defectors, and you may family members and you can colleagues regarding Rocha to piece together what exactly is identified so far out of his alleged betrayal, plus the missed clues and you will red flags that’ll has aided him prevent analysis for a long time.

It was not simply Rodriguez’s tipster – just who the guy would not pick on the AP however, claims are has just questioned because of the FBI. Authorities informed the AP you to since 1987, the fresh new CIA was aware Castro got an excellent “extremely mole” burrowed strong inside the You.S. bodies. Some today think this may had been Rocha which because the at least 2010 he might have been to the an initial record supplied to this new FBI out of you can Cuban spies high up when you look at the foreign coverage circles.

Rocha’s attorneys failed to respond to texts trying review. The newest FBI and you can CIA refuted to review. The official Service said within the a statement it can continue to run related companies in order to “completely assess the foreign policy and you can federal defense ramifications of these charges.”

“This really is a monumental fuck-right up,” told you Peter Romero, a former assistant secretary out-of condition to own Latin America just who did which have Rocha. “All of us are starting many soul-searching and there is no-one to build something. He performed a remarkable occupations covering their tracks.”

Simple Roots

He was produced within the Colombia as well as age ten went with their widowed mother and two sisters so you can Nyc. They resided for some time during the Harlem while their mommy did inside a beneficial sweatshop and you will had by the with the help of dining stamps.

A talented football member that have a-sharp intellect, he claimed a grant having minorities inside 1965 to visit The fresh Taft University, an elite boarding school in the Connecticut. Right away he was catapulted to what he called a beneficial “ghetto” engulfed from inside the battle riots in order to a refined arena of American wealth.

However, as one of not totally all minorities during the college, Rocha states the guy sustained discrimination – in addition to a great classmate who would not place which have your – something supported an effective grudge one family relations suspect possess provided your so you’re able to trust Castro’s wave.

From Taft, he decided to go to Yale, where he graduated with celebrates which have a qualification during the Latin-american education, and then to scholar manage Harvard and you can Georgetown.

It’s not clear just how Rocha may have been hired because of the Cuba however, prosecutors state it simply happened a while from the seventies when he had been however racking up values and American college campuses was indeed teeming with college students sympathetic so you can leftist factors.

During the 1973, the season the guy finished out-of Yale, Rocha traveled so you’re able to Chile, in which prosecutors say he became good “high buddy” of Cuba’s cleverness agency, the entire Directorate of Cleverness, otherwise DGI. You to definitely exact same season, new CIA assisted topple brand new Castro-supported socialist bodies from Salvador Allende, replacing it which have an intense military dictatorship.

Inside the same day, Rocha registered the first away from their three marriage ceremonies, so you can an adult Colombian lady the guy hardly spoke planning to members of the family, and you may who is now less than scrutiny to how to meet petite sexy single women possess you can easily connections so you can Cuba, centered on anyone who has already been requested by the FBI. The fresh AP is actually unable to reach the woman otherwise discover people number of its wedding.

‘All Element of A good PLAN’

Immediately following joining the brand new international services into the 1981, certainly one of Rocha’s first to another country postings is actually as the a governmental-armed forces affairs manager for the Honduras, in which the guy advised the fresh new Contras inside their combat Cuba-recognized leftist rebels in the surrounding Nicaragua.