From Noriega To Maduro: A DEA & CIA Collab Insider Perspective for South Florida
We sat down with retired DEA agent/CIA collab who arrested Noriega and now talks Maduro, Venezuela, and South Florida Impact
January 3rd is a unique day in Latin American history. On the same date -- 36 years apart -- 2 political despots were removed by American armed forces.
One man --- retired DEA agent Omar Aleman -- has a unique perspective. Aleman personally arrested Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega that day in 1990 on drug-trafficking charges. Aleman then personally escorted Noriega to US aircraft, and personally interrogated Noriega on the flight back to the States.
Two Dictators, Two Eras, One U.S. Strategy
Thirty-six years later, on January 3, 2026, Venezuela's illicit ruler Nicolas Maduro fell from power under similar circumstances.
While the US’s motivation and justification in both cases – charging the ruler of a country with criminal drug charges -- are similar, Aleman also sees distinct differences in the two cases…and differences in how each case may impact South Florida.
“The Panama Canal was still under US control, but we were going to surrender it back to Panama in 10 years,” Aleman said. “Maintaining open access to the Canal certainly was important, but people forget we had 5 military bases in Panama.
“Noriega was not only threatening the Canal, but also threatening our bases. We couldn’t allow that,” Aleman said.
From U.S. Asset to U.S. Prisoner
Ironically, Noriega was a DEA and CIA informant for the US before coming to power. Aleman worked with Noriega (and the CIA) in that capacity (and why then-Pres. George H.W. Bush chose Aleman for the Noriega assignment). Maduro had no such history with the US government.
“It was a strange turn of events that Noriega and I wound up on opposite sides, at the end,” Aleman continued. “Was he a drug dealer? Absolutely. Is Maduro one as well? Absolutely, and on a greater scale. But Noriega had been our friend. Still, there are some lines you don’t cross…. because when you do, you can’t go back.”
Two years later in 1992, Manuel Noriega was convicted in a Miami federal court on eight counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. He was initially sentenced to 40 years in prison, though this was later reduced for good behavior. After serving 17 years in the U.S., he was extradited to France in 2010, and then Panama (in 2011) to face further convictions for murder and money laundering. He died in 2017.
“I think it’s worth noting that arresting Noriega didn’t stop drugs from coming into America, and I don’t think arresting Maduro will either,” Aleman, who now lives in Miami, elaborated. “It may slow the flow, because Venezuelan government resources were actively part of Maduro smuggling the drugs, and those tools aren’t available to the cartels anymore.
“It will be more difficult, but the US demand will keep the dope flowing,” Aleman said.
Why Venezuela Is Different for South Florida
Two major differences, he continued, are the economic impact on South Florida, as well as the macro geo-political implications.
“When Noriega fell, the Bank of Panama had a big presence in South Florida and was laundering money all over the place,” Aleman chuckled. “Of course, the bank shut down but otherwise there really was no significant impact on Miami or South Florida’s economy without Noriega.
“However,” Aleman said, “this (Venezuela) is different. First, there are so many professionally-trained Venezuelans who can’t perform those jobs here (due to licensing requirements) that some may decide to return back to Venezuela and resume those careers when it’s possible. That’s a lot of very good workers who may drop out of the work force.”
Brain Drain, Business Growth, and Traffic
“The other side, though, is that when the Venezuelan economy comes back to life, there are so many resources there – SO many resources – that many new companies will emerge from what had been under government control,” he said. “Those companies will need US offices, and South Florida is the logical place for all those new businesses.
“So, we’ll probably see a lot of new companies moving here. That will be good for the economy, but not very good for traffic,” Aleman lamented.
Venezuela’s Global Reach and Terror Financing
Aleman lived in Venezuela during the 1970s, stationed there while with the DEA. The abundance of natural resources made the country the hub of criminal and illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere under Maduro. Venezuelan cash fueled Hezbollah and Hamas (along with Iran), pumping resurgence into terrorist activities across the globe. It’s also no coincidence, Aleman said, that the current upheaval in Iran is happening concurrently with Maduro’s fall.
What Comes Next: Terrorism, Cuba, and Part Two
In Part 2 of this series later this week, Aleman speaks more on the global terrorist impact of Maduro’s fall….and – in his opinion – the impending, inevitable fall of Communist Cuba.
