Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty on Friday to acting as a Cuban intelligence agent for over four decades.

In December, the former US Ambassador was indicted in a case that Attorney General Merrick Garland described as one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the U.S. government by a foreign agent.

Miami-based U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom accepted Rocha’s guilty plea on two counts, including acting as an agent of a foreign government, before handing down his 15-year sentence and a $500,000 fine, the maximum penalty allowed.

Prosecutors insisted that the 15-year sentence was justified. The prosecutors also emphasized Rocha’s age and his limited likelihood of surviving the incarceration.

They later amended the plea deal to add victim restitution with reports that revoking his citizenship status will be considered separately in civil court. 

David Newman, a top national security official at the Justice Department, said at a news conference after the sentencing that Rochas lived a lie for most of his life.

According to Newman, Rocha admitted to acting as an agent of the Cuban government while holding numerous positions of trust in the U.S. government. 

Newman pointed out that his actions were a staggering betrayal of the American people and an acknowledgment that every oath he took to the U.S was a lie.

Details on what led the FBI to suspect Rocha of spying for Cuba are unclear. Reports claim that Rocha was arrested after a series of meetings with undercover FBI agents posing as Cuban intelligence officials.

Rocha admitted that his involvement with Cuba’s intelligence service began in 1973 and continued until the time of his arrest, spanning his entire career in government. 

Court records reveal that Rocha identified the US as an opponent throughout the year. He stated that their activities had profound and extensive consequences.

Records also show that the former ambassador was instructed by Cuban intelligence to live an outwardly ordinary life. He provided substantial help to Cuba, especially while overseeing Cuban affairs at the National Security Council and other diplomatic positions.

According to reports, the Justice Department did not charge Rocha with espionage, a crime that would’ve carried a stiffer sentence.