Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Noriega Witness Tells of Drug Plot
- Share via
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A confessed drug smuggler testified in federal court in Miami that he helped a co-defendant in Manuel A. Noriega’s drug case elude Colombian drug lords and Panamanian military officials after a cocaine deal went bad. The witness, Hector Lopez, said William Saldarriaga told him 700 pounds of cocaine had been lost in a foiled smuggling plot. Prosecutors contend Noriega was involved in that plot--to smuggle cocaine to the United States aboard a yacht. On cross-examination Lopez admitted he had avoided heavy prison terms and fines by testifying.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
