Noriega went to high school and had a career in the army. He was the de facto ruler of Panama between 12 August 1983 and 20 December 1989. In 1992, a United States court convicted him of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. Noriega served a prison sentence in the US, which ended in 2007. He was then extradited to France, where he served another sentence.