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Manuel Antonio Noriega

Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega mugshot cropped.jpg
Mugshot after surrender to US forces
Maximum Leader of National Liberation
In office
December 15, 1983 – December 20, 1989
Preceded by Office created
Succeeded by Office abolished
Military Leader of Panama
In office
August 12, 1983 – December 20, 1989
President Ricardo de la Espriella
Jorge Illueca
Nicolás Ardito Barletta Vallarino
Eric Arturo Delvalle
Manuel Solís
Francisco Rodríguez
Preceded by Rubén Darío Paredes
Succeeded by Office abolished
Personal details
Born Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno
(1934-02-11) February 11, 1934 (age 83)
Panama City, Panamá
Republic of Panama
Spouse(s) Felicidad Sieiro de Noriega
Children 3
Alma mater Chorrillos Military School
School of the Americas
Religion Roman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance Panama Panama
Service/branch Coat of arms of Panama.svg Panamanian Defense Forces
Years of service 1967–1990
Rank US-O10 insignia.svg General
Commands Panamanian Defense Forces
Battles/wars

Invasion of Panama


Invasion of Panama

Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈnwel noˈɾjeɣa]; born February 11, 1934) is a former Panamanian politician and military officer. He was military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989, when he was removed from power by the United States during the invasion of Panama.

From the 1950s until shortly before the U.S. invasion, Noriega worked closely with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Noriega was one of the CIA's most valued intelligence sources, as well as one of the primary conduits for illicit weapons, military equipment and cash destined for US-backed counter-insurgency forces throughout Central and South America. Noriega was also a major cocaine trafficker, something which his U.S. intelligence handlers were aware of for years, but allowed because of his usefulness for their covert military operations in Latin America.

In 1988, Noriega was indicted by the United States on drug trafficking charges in Miami, Florida. During the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, he was removed from power, captured, detained as a prisoner of war, and flown to the United States. Noriega was tried on eight counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering in April 1992. On September 16, 1992, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison (which was later reduced to 30 years).

Noriega's U.S. prison sentence ended in September 2007; pending the outcome of extradition requests by both Panama and France, for convictions in absentia for murder in 1995 and money laundering in 1999. France was granted its extradition request in April 2010. He arrived in Paris on April 27, 2010, and after the re-trial that is a rule in France after any in absentia sentence, he was found guilty and sentenced to seven years in jail in July 2010. A conditional release was granted on September 23, 2011, for Noriega to be extradited to serve 20 years in Panama. He returned to Panama on December 11, 2011.


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