In December 1989, the U.S. made a nearly unprecedented decision: they captured the sitting leader of Panama in a violent operation. Fast forward to January 3rd, 2026, the U.S. seized Nicolás Maduro, the current leader of Venezuela, and brought him into custody. For only the second time in modern history, the United States president used military force to capture a foreign leader.
Maduro’s case dominated all forms of media, from news coverage to social media; images of him were posted everywhere you went for weeks. Specifically, a photo of him wearing a grey Nike tech set and earmuffs, his presence in the media loomed large. However, this operation has a significant historical precedent that is lesser known, the military dictator Manuel Noriega.
Manuel Antonio Noriega was born in 1938 in Panama. As an adult, he joined the military, quickly climbing the ranks to a General. He had a good relationship with the U.S. government, even becoming a C.I.A. operative to stay in their good graces. Once Noriega became his country’s de facto leader, however, his desire for power grew. Before long, Noriega was selling U.S. intelligence secrets, smuggling cocaine, and even voiding the elections of U.S.-backed candidates in Panama to make a larger profit.
Eventually, President H. W. Bush had enough. He initiated Operation Just Cause, an extremely violent, high-pressure invasion of Panama to retrieve Noriega. In the largest combat operation since the Vietnam War, President Bush detained Noriega. On the way to the states, U.S. Army men brought down whole neighborhoods and towns with them.
While U.S. forces captured Manuel Noriega in a full-scale invasion, they took Nicolás Maduro in a small, targeted special forces raid. President Bush said Noriega was smuggling cocaine, moving it from place to place. Similarly, U.S. President Donald Trump said Maduro was flooding the streets with cocaine. Meaning he placed it in the hands of Venezuelan and U.S. citizens for immediate use. U.S. President Donald Trump placed a lot of emphasis on Maduro’s cocaine flooding. However, that’s about where the differences end.
The similarities between the two cases are seemingly endless. Starting with the fact that in both cases, President Bush and President Trump bypassed congressional approval to remove the leaders. They simply decided it was the best idea and went with it. This raises questions about the legal and moral issue of avoiding checks and balances. Both Noriega and Maduro were taken to the U.S. with drug trafficking as a legal basis, and both then faced a grand jury indictment on drug trafficking charges.
The largest similarity between the two cases is how the citizens of Panama and Venezuela reacted. In both countries, many people were extremely relieved and happy to see their oppressive leader go, but were concerned by the U.S. intervention. Citizens of both countries viewed the act as a step in the right direction towards a stable democracy, some even going as far as to worship the soldiers who removed each leader. On the other side, however, many people were angry, distraught, and in many cases, homeless due to the destruction.
The U.S. intervention in both Panama and Venezuela raises many questions about international relationships, sovereignty, and how the two overlap. From, can just anyone take over a country, to, what if my leader gets kidnapped, people all over the world are wondering about their country’s stability.
At the moment, Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, are in New York. Under U.S. custody, the couple is awaiting trial on charges of drug trafficking, machine gun possession, and narco-terrorism conspiracy. Experts believe the trial could last years, tearing the Venezuelan population between hope and fear.
The history of Noriega’s removal from office can provide insight into the current case of Nicolás Maduro. Both cases ignited a controversial debate. While there may be no clear answer as to what was the “right” move, one thing’s for sure: the names of Manuel Noriega and that of Nicolás Maduro have secured a place in history.
