A former United States intelligence officer has confirmed to NBC News that the U.S. spy who was returned to the U.S. yesterday is Rolando Sarraff Trujillo.
Trujillo was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Cuban authorities back in 1995. Chris Simmons, the former intelligence officer who worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said Trujillo was almost certainly involved in agent communications.
President Barack Obama yesterday only identified Trujillo as "one of the most important intelligence agents that the United States has ever had in Cuba."
In a press release, the Director of National Intelligence stated that the man "provided the information that led to the identification and conviction of Defense Intelligence Agency senior analyst Ana Belen Montes; former Department of State official Walter Kendall Myers and his spouse Gwendolyn Myers; and members of the Red Avispa network, or 'Wasp Network,' in Florida, which included members of the so-called 'Cuban Five.'"
The release added, "In light of his sacrifice on behalf of the United States, securing his release from prison after 20 years - in a swap for three of the Cuban spies he helped put behind bars - is fitting closure to this Cold World chapter of U.S.-Cuban relations."
A blog, reportedly set up by family who remains in Cuba, states they have not seen him nor talked to him recently despite regular communications.
"Nearly 24 hours [after] the news of the release of political prisoners by the Cuban government, the families of Rolando Trujillo Sarraff [is] still awaiting an official statement that reveals us the status and whereabouts of our brother," the blog said in a post. "While the families of Alan Gross and the 3 enjoy their loved ones at home, our family does not know anything about him."
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The blog, written in Spanish, also includes images of him as a 32-year-old in 1995 along with images of him from earlier this year.
Neither the Director of National Intelligence nor the CIA would reveal Trujillo's identity yesterday or confirm NBC's reporting today. Both the New York Times and Newsweek have also identified Trujillo.
