Author Cillian Dunne thought he was accepting a simple writing job in Panama. Instead, he found himself sitting across from a man who operated inside the shadow network of General Manuel Noriega — the Panamanian dictator who spent years on the CIA payroll before becoming one of America’s most wanted enemies.

What started as a casual introduction turned into a two-year investigation involving intelligence agencies, cartel rumors, Cold War geopolitics, and the chain of events that led to the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama.

In this episode of the Truth Hurts Show, Cillian breaks down how Noriega rose from a military school recruit to one of the CIA’s most valuable intelligence assets in Latin America. During the height of the Cold War, Noriega worked alongside U.S. agencies in the fight against communism across Central America — helping facilitate covert operations tied to the Iran-Contra era.

But when political alliances shifted and scandals began to surface, Noriega went from trusted asset to international villain almost overnight.

Cillian shares what he uncovered while interviewing Noriega’s right-hand man, the documents connecting Noriega to U.S. intelligence agencies, and the dangerous political environment inside Panama during one of the most volatile periods in modern Latin American history.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on the blurred lines between intelligence work, geopolitics, and the narratives used to shape public perception.

Because the story the world remembers about Noriega may only be part of the truth.

If you think you understand how power, intelligence, and foreign policy really work, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew.

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New Book: https://a.co/d/02eqsvlj

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome Cillian!

1:00 Noriega's CIA Origins

03:11 Why Write This Book

05:44 On the Ground in Panama

07:45 Iran Contra Pipeline

10:16 DEA Letters and Scapegoat

13:01 Bush Feud and Blackmail

16:06 Vatican Standoff Tactics

17:55 Secret Weapons Rumors

19:18 CIA Experiments and PR

22:52 Spies Go Public

23:28 Dalai Lama Asset Rumor

23:53 Foreign Policy Reality Check

25:41 Monroe Doctrine Shift

26:54 Writing and Fact Checking

28:51 Carlos Loyalty Flaws

29:50 Noriega Secrets and Rumors

32:22 Blackmail Party Tape Theory

33:59 Agencies Fragmented Then Linked

35:10 Crips Interview Book Origin

37:04 Inglewood Interviews and Trust

40:04 Prison Solo Rider Puma

42:10 How David Joined the Crips

43:39 Where to Get the Book

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