For nearly a decade, Manuel Antonio Noriega was the most powerful man in Panama—a “strongman” who walked a tightrope between being a vital CIA asset and a business partner to the world’s most dangerous drug cartels. His eventual arrest by U.S. forces in 1990 remains one of the most dramatic and controversial military interventions in modern history.
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The CIA’s Man in Panama
Born into poverty in Panama City, Noriega (often nicknamed “Pineapple Face” due to acne scarring) rose through the military ranks under the wing of General Omar Torrijos. During this time, he became a “double agent” of sorts.
Starting in the 1950s, Noriega was a paid informant for the CIA. He provided intelligence on leftist movements in Latin America and assisted U.S. interests during the Cold War. However, even while on the U.S. payroll, he was secretly building a criminal empire. By the time he became the de facto ruler of Panama in 1983, he had transformed the country into a “narco-cleptocracy,” facilitating cocaine shipments for the Medellín Cartel and Pablo Escobar.
The Breaking Point: From Ally to Enemy
The relationship between Noriega and the United States soured in the late 1980s for three primary reasons:
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Drug Trafficking: In 1988, U.S. federal grand juries in Miami and Tampa indicted Noriega for drug trafficking and money laundering.
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Human Rights Abuses: The brutal 1985 murder of political critic Hugo Spadafora, who was found beheaded, turned international opinion against him.
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Political Defiance: In 1989, Noriega annulled a democratic election that he had clearly lost and unleashed “Dignity Battalions” to beat opposition candidates in the streets.
When Panamanian forces killed an unarmed U.S. Marine in December 1989, President George H.W. Bush decided that diplomacy had failed.
Operation Just Cause: The Invasion and “Sonic Warfare”
On December 20, 1989, the U.S. launched Operation Just Cause, deploying over 27,000 troops to Panama. It was the largest U.S. military operation since the Vietnam War.
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The Vatican Embassy Standoff
Noriega eluded capture for several days before seeking asylum in the Apostolic Nunciature (the Vatican’s embassy) in Panama City. Because U.S. troops could not legally storm the embassy, they turned to psychological warfare. For several days, the U.S. Army’s Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) team blasted high-volume rock music toward the embassy.
The playlist included:
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“I Fought the Law” by The Clash
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“Panama” by Van Halen
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“You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC
On January 3, 1990, Noriega—distraught, sleep-deprived, and realizing the Vatican would not grant him permanent sanctuary—walked out of the embassy in his tan uniform and surrendered to DEA agents.
The International Legal Carousel
Noriega’s life after his arrest was a decades-long tour of global prison systems:
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The United States (1992–2010): Convicted in Miami on eight counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. He was uniquely granted Prisoner of War (POW) status by a U.S. judge, which allowed him certain privileges under the Geneva Convention. He served 17 years of a 40-year sentence.
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France (2010–2011): After his U.S. release, he was extradited to France to face charges of laundering $3 million in drug money through French banks. He was sentenced to seven years.
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Panama (2011–2017): Finally, France extradited him back to his homeland. Now an elderly man in a wheelchair, he was sent to El Renacer prison to serve multiple 20-year sentences for the murders of his political rivals.
Final Years and Death
Noriega’s health declined rapidly while in Panamanian custody. In early 2017, he was granted temporary house arrest to undergo surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. Following the operation, he suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and fell into a coma.
Manuel Noriega died on May 29, 2017, at the age of 83. His death marked the final chapter of a turbulent era in Panamanian history—an era defined by the Cold War, the rise of the cartels, and the complicated interventionism of the United States.