6. He had a bizarre interest in the occult.
Noriega had several “witches” on his staff skilled in Santeria and Candomble — a Brazilian religion that mixes Catholicism with West African beliefs similar to voodoo.
7. He was behind one of the most brutal murders in Panama’s history.
In 1985, Noriega had opposition leader Hugo Spadafora captured, brutally tortured, and beheaded. Spadafora was one of his most vocal opponents, bravely calling out Noriega’s corruption and ties to drug cartels.
8. U.S. forces used heavy metal to try and get him to surrender.
Shortly after the U.S. invasion of Panama, Noriega took refuge at the Vatican embassy. Knowing they couldn’t force their way in, the Americans decided to try and smoke Noriega out by erecting a wall of speakers outside the embassy and blasting rock music 24/7 for three days straight. The playlist included 80s classics like “I Fought the Law” by the Clash, “Panama” by Van Halen, and “All I Want is You” by U2.
9. He was convicted in three different countries.
After he surrendered in January of 1990, Noriega was hit with a litany of charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy, murder, human rights abuses, corruption, and embezzlement. For the rest of his life, he served various sentences in the United States, , and Panama.
10. He sued the developers of Call of Duty.
The videogame Call of Duty: Black Ops II, released in 2012, features a villain based on Noriega. In 2014, Noriega sued the game’s developer Activision from prison, claiming they used his likeness without permission, but the case was eventually dismissed.
