On Tuesday, in the light of Cuban spy Manuel Rocha pleading guilty to anti-American espionage, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Cornyn (R-TX) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced legislation to remove the statute of limitations on espionage charges.
The Congressmen said they hoped that the Strengthening Prosecution Integrity for Espionage Statutes (SPIES) Act would deter anti-American espionage and help strengthen punishing those who perpetrate the crimes.
“America must do everything in its power to deter its enemies, including spies seeking to harm our nation and threaten our interests through espionage activity,” Rubio said. “Many bad actors are not punished for their crimes due to the existing statute of limitation for certain offenses. My SPIES Act would ensure foreign agents are punished for aiding foreign governments against the United States, regardless of how many years have passed.”
Recently, former U.S. ambassador Manuel Rocha pleaded guilty to anti-American espionage, but the magnitude of Rocha’s criminal behavior extended to a range of crimes. Because of the restrictive statutes of limitations on some of those crimes, prosecutors were limited on what they could charge Rocha with, officials said. In cases like Rocha’s, where crimes go undiscovered for decades, eliminating the statute of limitations would deter foreign agents, the Congressmen said.
Previously, Rubio sent a letter to the U.S. Department of State, requesting the department assess what damages Rocha had done, and what the department could do to thwart future espionage.
“It is of the utmost importance to Congress, and the American people, that the counterintelligence gaps that enabled Rocha’s 40- year long career as a Cuban spy are identified and addressed to prevent future espionage threats that could endanger American lives and interests,” Rubio wrote.
His colleagues agreed. The SPIES Act would thwart future such crimes, they said.
“Espionage is a serious crime, and foreign agents stealing sensitive information can cause immense harm to the United States and our interests,” Cornyn said. “This legislation would help crack down on espionage-related crimes by eliminating the statute of limitations, which will help ensure that perpetrators can be brought to justice no matter how much time has passed.”
The legislation was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.