Between late December 1989 and late January 1990, the United States launched Operation
Just Cause to invade Panama and oust the formerly CIA-supported military dictator Manuel Noriega.
As the sun rose on December 20th, multiple U.S. Special Operations units initiated strategic
attacks throughout the country against Panama’s Defense Forces and Noriega’s personal property.
Of particular priority was the retrieval of a man code-named “Precious Cargo.”
This would be the task of America’s Delta Force in a mission known as Operation Acid
Gambit...
Kurt Muse, Precious Cargo
Kurt Muse was an American veteran who had been involved in earlier plots to overthrow
the oppressive military government led by Noriega.
Muse had grown up in Panama and then lived in the United States with his wife, a Department
of Defense Education Activity teacher.
After his military service was over, he returned to Panama, where he aided American anti-Noriega
efforts by setting up an underground radio station to fight against the regime.
However, a Panamanian news organization discovered that he was working for the CIA, and the Panamanian
government arrested him.
He was sent to Carcel Modelo, an infamous prison used by the regime to house political
adversaries and plenty of innocent people.
Among Panamanians, it was known as “Crime University” since most inmates would become
worse criminals once their sentence was over.
The prison was built for 250 people, was expanded to house 450 prisoners, and ended up having
over 1,000 throughout the years.
Muse spent nine months in solitary confinement, waiting for his country to rescue him…
President Bush decided in favor of a rescue mission after an American military doctor
who had been allowed inside the prison smuggled out a letter from Muse.
23 Delta Force operators were assigned to carry out the raid with support from Night
Stalkers.
Still, although the mission was planned separately, it was postponed until the United States was
ready to carry out Operation Just Cause.
Preparations
Most of the preparations and rehearsals were conducted in the spring of 1988 without consideration
for the rescue mission.
These began as the relationship between Panama and the U.S. deteriorated, making it increasingly
evident that an armed conflict would ensue.
While previous considerations of liberating Panama had only seen the need for using a
surgical Special Operations unit for a limited mission, the increase in tensions broadened
the scope of the plans.
Conventional troops were trained, and elements were included from the 5th Infantry Division,
7th Infantry Division, and 82nd Airborne Division, in addition to units already stationed in
Panama.
The operation had evolved from an initial plan meant to protect the Panama Canal and
its neutrality.
A total of seven rehearsals and ops happened under the Operation Prayer Book series.
Including Operation Purple Storm, which planned for a possible major battle, and Operation
Bushmaster, which supplemented the military police patrols of the Panama Canal with infantry
units starting in December of 1987.
The collective of plans and future attacks were grouped under Operation Blue Spoon.
This mission, however, was renamed Operation Just Cause in a public relations move by the
Pentagon.
Later on, General Colin Powell would claim that the name served its purpose because [QUOTE]
“even our severest critics would have to utter ‘Just Cause’ while denouncing us.”
The change gave the invasion an air of legitimacy with the public and the media, despite fears
that international law might find it questionable.
Delta Force later rehearsed for the rescue mission on a mockup of the prison built at
Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
It was mapped out after notes supplied by the American Doctor who had treated Muse.
After midnight on December 20th, 23 Delta Force operators aboard four MH-6 Little Bird
Helicopters arrived in Panama, flying towards the overcrowded prison...
Justifications
President George H.W. Bush released the four reasons for the invasion of Panama on the
morning of December 20th, 1989, as the operation was well underway.
His main goals were as follows: First, to ensure the safety of Americans in Panama,
since Noriega had declared a state of war between the two nations.
At the time, around 35,000 American civilians resided in the antagonistic country.
As a second goal, Bush claimed to be protecting democracy and the human rights of Panamanians.
In third place were the accusations of drug trafficking and money laundry standing against
Noriega and his administration.
Finally, Bush wanted to maintain the Torrijos-Carter Treaties that sustained the neutral and continuous
use of the Panama Canal for all nations.
According to congress and some legal experts, the treaty allowed the U.S. military to intervene
because Noriega threatened the neutrality of one of the most important trade routes
in the world.
The invasion of the Latin American nation began at 1:00 a.m. local time, on December
20th.
The broader Operation Justice required the entry of considerable manpower into Panama.
Over 27,685 troops arrived on-site throughout the day and following weeks, along with more
than 300 military planes.
The 317th Tactical Airlift Wing transported many of the soldiers aboard C-130 Hercules
aircraft.
Among the military vehicles deployed to central America, were the Humvee utility vehicles
and the F-117A Nighthawk planes.
It was their first combat deployment, as well as that of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
To enter the country with some level of surprise regarding the sheer amount of approaching
forces, the U.S. had two EF-111A Raven electronic-warfare planes jam radar signals.
These forces were deployed to fight against the smaller and lesser prepared 16,000 members
of the Panama Defense Forces.
Operation Acid Gambit
The MH-6 helicopters of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment landed with the
Delta Force on the roof of the Carcel Modelo on December 20th, 1989, to free the American
hostage.
Snipers from the Delta Force cleared the area of sentries and the Comandancia located across
the street from the prison.
To keep attention away from the rescue effort, two C-130 Spectre planes began shooting at
the Comandancia.
The heavily armed aircraft succeeded in redirecting attention.
The Delta Force troops attempted to enter the prison with a pre-built door charge, but
the humidity took down some of the tape on the breach explosive.
With no other option, they decided to blow-up the whole door.
Muse would later recall that moment in an interview: [QUOTE] “I hear explosions, I
hear people running around, and then shots, and then the hall starts filling with a thick
acrid white smoke.”
One of the Delta operators climbed in through a window outside of the captive’s cell to
shoot the guard who was in charge of eliminating Muse should a rescue effort happen.
The rest of the crew entered the prison complex quickly to find their target.
The cell door was shot at twice, but the lock was thick and unyielding.
After a small detonation, the cell was opened, and Muse was free.
Once the jail cell was open, Muse has stated that one of his rescuers told him, [QUOTE]
“Muse, we’re gonna take you home.”
He had spent nine months in captivity.
His liberators greeted him with a ballistic helmet, goggles, and a body-armor suit.
Kurt Muse was taken up to the roof so he could be flown to a U.S. base on one of the MH-6
Helicopters.
The rescued hostage and several of the Delta Force members got on one of the helicopters,
which was subsequently shot at by the Panamanian Defense Forces.
Due to the heavy gunfire, the Little Bird Helicopter lost altitude and ended up on the
ground.
The pilot managed to start it back up only to receive more gunfire.
Five of the Delta Force operators were injured during the crash.
It became evident that the extensive damage from the attacks would not allow them to safely
take off.
The team and the prisoner took cover in a nearby building and set up a security perimeter.
For a couple of seconds, it seemed like Muse would not get his long-awaited freedom.
Then a ground vehicle from the 5th infantry division drove by.
The Delta members signaled to the gunships flying above with an infrared strobe light.
The armored personnel carrier was directed to recover the team and the former hostage.
Muse would recall that the six-minute rescue effort felt much longer at the time, stating
[QUOTE] “My rescue seemed like it took 15, 20, 30 minutes.”
The occasion marked the first successful hostage rescue by Delta Force.
Operation Nifty Package
While Kurt Muse was being retrieved, other troops were focused on taking over Panama
and ensuring that Noriega could be captured.
The Navy SEALs had to ensure that Noriega couldn’t depart from the country through
Ope.
SEAL Team 4 was tasked with destroying his plane at the airfield.
Led by Commander Lieutenant Patrick Toohey, they landed to the south of the airport at
half an hour past midnight.
Just fifteen minutes later, they were in position.
Complicating matters, several armored cars approached the airfield.
Commander Toohey sent a squad to position themselves to block the vehicles, but the
Panamanian Defense Forces opened fire, injuring six SEALs.
The American troops opened fire as well.
In the midst of the battle, the SEALs brought out an AT4 anti-tank rocket and fired.
Noriega’s plane went up in flames.
Afterward, they rolled in a plane and left it in the middle of the runway to prevent
any incoming or outgoing planes from using it.
The wounded SEALs were evacuated to Howard Air Force Base, while others secured the airfield.
At the same time, this battle was developing, a team of four seals with rebreather systems
swam towards Noriega’s gunboat.
They had been dropped off by a Zodiac inflatable boat in a mangrove tree grove.
Thanks to the rebreather systems, they produced no bubbles and were able to move unnoticed.
They set up explosives under the Presidente Porras gunboat.
Desperate, Panamanian troops shot at the water and even dropped grenades while the SEAL team
hid under the pier.
The Presidente Porras was destroyed.
On their way back, they heard a massive ship sailing close by and opted to swim deeper.
They descended to forty feet under the surface, incredibly dangerous considering their breathing
system.
Still, none of them suffered any consequences from the depth and were able to return to
Rodman Naval Base
In total, the mission wounded nine SEALs and lost four.
Operation Just Cause continued throughout the following months, as the U.S. targeted
mostly military units...
Played Out
Kurt Muse published his account of the invasion and overthrow of Noriega in 2006, under the
title Six Minutes to Freedom.
He recounted how his family fled the country after his arrest, and includes eyewitness
accounts of his mistreatment at the Carcel Modelo.
President Noriega escaped the initial American attack, finding refuge at the Vatican diplomatic
mission in Panama City.
A nationwide manhunt with a $1 million reward for his capture began immediately after.
The American military placed diplomatic pressure on the Vatican and even deployed psychological
pressure against the dictator himself.
The U.S. spent weeks playing loud rock-and-roll music for days and nights on end in the densely
populated city, a music genre the dictator despised.
Additionally, the Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed that the music was meant to block parabolic
microphones from spying on the ongoing surrender negotiations.
The military dictator finally turned himself in to the U.S. military on January 3rd, 1990,
and was sent to America on an MC-130E Combat Talon I plane to answer for his crimes...