Noriega Returned to Panama, Still Jailed

By Jeralyn, Section Corruption Cases
Posted on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 10:45:24 AM EST
Tags: Manuel Noriega (all tags)

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Former Panama General Manuel Noriega served 17 years in prison in the U.S. for drugs and 2 years in France for money laundering. This weekend, at his request, he was returned to Panama to begin serving three 20 year sentences. He's now 77 and in a wheelchair.

Noriega was toppled in a US invasion of Panama in 1989. He was convicted in absentia in three homicide cases involving 11 murders, including the 1985 beheading of a doctor who threatened to reveal Noriega’s drug ties. He was also responsible for the executions of nine officers who staged a failed coup.

Here are some photos of Noriega's arrest by U.S. DEA agents in Panama. The lead take-down agent, DEA group supervisor, Rene DelaCova, pleaded guilty 1n 1994 to stealing $700,000 from drug traffickers in an unrelated case. He got a 3 year sentence. [More...]

To revisit what a big deal Noriega was back then, check out The Contras, Cocaine and Covert Operations. Here's the 1988 Kerry Report on the CIA and the Contras and the 1992 Kerry Report on the BCCI Affair. Here's some Oliver North files. Another good read: BCCI and Law Enforcement.

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Noriega Returned to Panama, Still Jailed | 9 comments (9 topical)

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Typo in the title, J. (none / 0) (#1)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 11:11:28 AM EST

"Panema"

I had really mixed feelings (none / 0) (#2)
by sj on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 11:13:44 AM EST

back then about the whole operation. But from my perspective now, I have to say that holding a Head of State accountable for illegal actions sounds right and just.

By the way, your last link to BCCI and Law Enforcement is broken.

I fought in this one, (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by jeffinalabama on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 01:54:43 PM EST

and picked up a tiny scar in the leg and a purple heart. Just a nick from a round. It missed my shinbone by maybe 5 millimeters. Still knocked me a$$ over teakettle.

I can tell you that the PDF was abusing the zone residents, especially the US citizens and the military. I think this one was justified, even though I didn't agree with playing Guns & Roses over loudspeakers at Noriega. I wanted them to play James Brown!

That invasion spoiled my Christmas plans. I was flying to Berlin to see the wall come down, until my plans got changed.


: Always thought I would wimp out (none / 0) (#6)
by oculus on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 03:41:36 PM EST

really really quickly if aurally assaulted for long periods of time by any sort of rock music!

: Noreiga (none / 0) (#8)
by ElderOne on Tue Dec 13, 2011 at 08:20:04 AM EST

They, the 1%ers, can't let Noreiga write his own story abt. his long-standing relationship with the US and how, in the end, the US stole the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and let him to rot.
As a very wise person above said,'holding heads of state ' responsible for their misdeeds. Yes, indeed, I'd like some of THAT.

He's 77, not 87 (none / 0) (#3)
by Dadler on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 11:15:52 AM EST

Not that it makes a difference at either age when you're incarcerated. What I remember most about his downfall is after leveling Noriega's headquarters, the surrounding poor neighborhood of El Chorrillo caught fire and burned to the ground, leaving many dead and thousands homeless. No one went to jail for that, as I recall.

: Award winning documentary about the invasion (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by Dadler on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 11:29:46 AM EST

The Panama Deception. (LINK) This is part one, it seems to be in cut up into twelve total, all of them posted there, so the whole thing should be viewable. The film won, I believe, the Academy Award that year for best doc.

: thanks, I corrected his age (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 12, 2011 at 07:04:52 PM EST

Bush Sr. cleaning up a mess made (none / 0) (#9)
by BobTinKY on Wed Dec 14, 2011 at 08:59:21 AM EST

by Bush Sr and his spy v. spy cohorts, kinda like Saddam though on a lesser scale.

Interesting that Carter is mentioned in Kerry's BCCI Report but neither Reagan nor Bush.