Operation Just Cause
$164M
Cost
27,684
Troops Deployed
23
US Casualties
500
Civilian Deaths
Overview
The US invasion of Panama to depose Manuel Noriega, a former CIA asset turned drug trafficker and dictator. 27,684 US troops invaded in the largest American military operation since Vietnam.
Outcome
Noriega captured and imprisoned. Panama's defense forces dissolved. Critics noted the US had supported Noriega for years before turning against him.
Key Fact
Noriega had been on the CIA payroll at $100,000/year. The US invaded to remove an asset it had helped install and protect for two decades.