Attorney general's team to review Obama-era Hezbollah probes

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department is forming a team of prosecutors to investigate drug trafficking and money laundering linked to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant movement.

The announcement follows reports that Obama officials thwarted drug prosecutions related to Hezbollah for fear of jeopardizing a nuclear deal with Iran.

The U.S. considers Hezbollah to be a terrorist group and an Iranian proxy.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the team will review evidence from the Obama-era Drug Enforcement Administration program called Project Cassandra. Sessions announced that review in December, after Politico reported the program had been targeting Hezbollah's trafficking of cocaine but was stymied by Obama officials.

President Donald Trump and Republicans have been urging the Justice Department to investigate Obama-era dealings. Democrats say that's an effort to divert attention from the Russia investigation.