what happened to manuel noriega

Manuel Noriega, the former military ruler of Panama, was ousted, imprisoned in several countries, and ultimately died in 2017 after years behind bars.

Quick Scoop: What Happened to Manuel Noriega?

Rise and fall

• Noriega became the de facto military ruler of Panama in the 1980s, after rising through the ranks of the Panamanian National Guard and intelligence services.

• He was long connected to drug trafficking, corruption, and human rights abuses, even while also working at times with U.S. intelligence.

• As his rule became more brutal and his drug links more public, relations with Washington soured, setting the stage for his removal.

U.S. invasion and capture

• In December 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause , sending about 24,000 troops into Panama to depose Noriega.

• Noriega initially went into hiding and then took refuge in the Vatican (Papal) embassy in Panama City.

• Surrounded by U.S. forces, he surrendered on January 3, 1990, and was flown to the United States to face criminal charges.

Years in prison (U.S., France, Panama)

• In the U.S., Noriega was tried and convicted on drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering charges, and was sentenced to a lengthy prison term (often described as 40 years, though he served about two decades there).

• After completing his U.S. sentence, he was extradited to France in 2010, where he was convicted of money laundering and given another prison sentence.

• In 2011, France extradited him to Panama so he could serve long-standing sentences there for murder, corruption, and embezzlement linked to the military regime.

Final years and death

• Back in Panama, Noriega was held in prison and later under house arrest at times as his health deteriorated, including hypertension, a benign brain tumor, and related complications.

• In 2016–2017 he underwent or prepared for surgery to remove the benign brain tumor, and he was allowed to be at home to recover for parts of that period.

• Noriega died in Panama on May 29, 2017, at age 83, reportedly from complications following brain surgery.

• Panama’s then-president Juan Carlos Varela said his death “closes a chapter” in the country’s history, reflecting how Noriega had come to symbolize the military dictatorship era.

Why he’s in the news again

• In early 2026, Noriega’s case has resurfaced in media and legal commentary as a historical parallel in discussions about captured leaders, particularly in coverage comparing him to Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro being taken into U.S. custody.

• Analysts and courts have been revisiting how Noriega claimed prisoner‑of‑war status and how U.S. authorities handled his immunity and legitimacy as a head of state, using it as a reference point for current debates.

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