Prosecutors played wiretaps in federal court in New York showing a federal narcotics agent leaked sensitive case information about one of Washington’s top criminal targets in Venezuela — Alex Saab. The leak, not previously made public, marks yet another embarrassing case of high-profile agent misconduct at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and could complicate the Justice Department’s already-fraught prosecution of Saab, who is accused of siphoning $350 million from state contracts. Saab has become a cause célèbre among allies of President Nicolas Maduro. The socialist leader claims the Colombian-born businessman is a Venezuelan diplomat targeted for his efforts to bypass American sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
