Sentencing set for career US diplomat charged with spying for Cuba
MIAMI - A group of Cuban Americans gathered outside of the federal courthouse wanting to be heard, ahead of the sentencing of an accused Cuban spy.
"He's guilty of a lot of suffering for the Cuban people and for the United States," said Luis Zuniga, a member of the assembly of the Cuban resistance.
They call themselves the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, a group of Cuban Americans who want to see freedom in Cuba.
Tuesday, they demanded the maximum punishment for Cuban spy Manuel Rocha.
The former US ambassador to Bolivia is charged with acting as a spy to Cuba and is set to take a plea deal this Friday.
"We cannot help but ask ourselves a question. How many more? How many more are here in our threatening the security of the United States," said Sylvia Iriondo, a member of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance.
Rocha is facing a number of charges including, conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
In the federal indictment, he is alleged of being a spy for the Cuban regime for decades, including at the time the Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down in 1996.
"He was the deputy chief of the United States intersection in Havana at the time 4 planes were shot down in the international airspace. Those 4 Cuban Americans were killed," said Zuniga.
"We are here as Americans and as Cuban Americans. And we hope justice prevails in this case," said Iriondo.
Rocha is due back in court for his plea hearing on Friday afternoon.
As part of the agreement, he's expected to plead guilty to two charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government.
More than a dozen other charges are expected to be dismissed as part of his plea agreement.
