Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Panama da Noriega na shiga cikin fataucin miyagun ƙwayoyi ya karu sosai a farkon shekarun 1980, ya kai ga 1984. Rikici da ke ƙaruwa a Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala
, da kuma Nicaragua sun haifar da ƙirƙirar hanyoyin sadarwar sufuri na asirce wanda Noriega yayi amfani da shi don safarar kwayoyi zuwa Amurka, musamman cocaine. A wannan lokacin ne kungiyar Medellín Cartel ta Colombia ke neman abokan kawance. Noriega ya shiga tsakani tare da safarar kwayoyi da kuma ayyukan da ake yi na tsaftace kudi, kuma ya karbi kudade masu yawa a matsayin kudi na kariya, cin hanci, ko raba riba. A watan Yunin 1986, dan jarida mai bincike Seymour Hersh ya yi rikodin wani jami'in Fadar White House na Amurka yana cewa rage ayyukan Noriega na iya rage cinikin miyagun kwayoyi na duniya.