Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - kubatanidzwa kwaPanama naNoriega mukutengeswa kwezvinodhaka kwakawedzera zvikuru mukuvamba kwama 1980, kuchisvika pakakwirira muna 1984. Kurwisana kuri kuwedzera muColombia, El Salvador, Guatemala
, neNicaragua zvakanga zvaita kuti pave nemasangano ezvokufambisa akavanzika ayo Noriega aishandisa kutakura zvinodhaka kuUnited States, zvikurukuru cocaine. Munguva iyi Medellín Cartel yeColombia yakanga ichitsvakawo vavakidzani. Noriega akabatanidzwa zvikuru mukutengeswa kwezvinodhaka kwavo nemabasa okuchenesa mari, uye akagamuchira mari yakawanda semari yokudzivirira, pfumbamuromo, kana kugoverana muzvibereko. Muna June 1986, mutori wenhau anoongorora nhau Seymour Hersh akarekodha mumwe mukuru mukuru weU.S. White House achitaura kuti kuderedza mibato yaNoriega kwaigona kuderedza zvikuru kutengeswa kwezvinodhaka munyika yose.