'Fat Leonard' may be Venezuela's bargaining chip in seeking US recognition, experts say

SAN DIEGO (AP): Fugitive Malaysian defence contractor Leonard Glenn Francis, better known as "Fat Leonard”, who claims to have incriminating photos of United States Navy brass could become the latest bargaining chip in Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s efforts to win official recognition from the Biden administration, according to experts.

But it is unclear how hard the US government will fight for the return of Leonard, the Malaysian owner of a ship-servicing company in South-East Asia who is the central character in one of the largest bribery scandals in Pentagon history.