A federal prosecutor at Manuel Noriega's trial indicated U.S. drug agents are investigating top Cuban officials.
The disclosure came Tuesday during testimony by Carlos Lehder, a former boss of the Medellin cocaine cartel who has tied the ousted Panamanian dictator to drug protection payoffs.Lehder said he was the cartel's connection to Cuban President Fidel Castro's brother Raul and the head of Cuban intelligence, Manuel "Redbeard" Pineiro.
Prosecutor Guy Lewis had Leh-der testify in detail about visits to Cuba and arrangements to ship cocaine through the island.
"Are you working with federal agents on this case?" asked Lewis.
"Yes, sir, I am," Lehder responded.
However, Tom Cash, chief of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Miami, said that there is no investigation "other than the normal keeping an eye out for what's going on."
Prosecutors say Noriega took millions in bribes to protect the cocaine trade. He could get up to 140 years in prison.
On the stand Tuesday, Lehder said he first traveled to Cuba in 1981, meeting with fugitive U.S. financier Robert Vesco and Raul Castro.
Lehder wanted to use Cuba for money laundering and cocaine flights. He gave Raul Castro one of his planes, the witness said, and a deal was reached in 1982.
Several cocaine shipments went through Cuba in 1983 and 1984, he said.
Former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was in Miami on Tuesday and angrily disputed testimony by Lehder and a previous witness, Ricardo Bilonick, that his Sandinista government aided drug traffickers.
"I would be willing to testify because I believe I have sufficient proof to demonstrate that these false accusations are an effort to cover up the involvement of President Reagan's administration with narcotics trafficking," Ortega said. He refused to give specifics.
Cuban government spokesman Ariel Ricardo in Washington was not available Tuesday but last week strongly denied allegations by Lehder about his country.