Manuel Noriega has gone from jail to…more jail. France wants a piece of the ex-general for a new trial on money laundering charges
Noriega has spent the last 20 years in prison near Miami and was extradited Tuesday to France from the United States. He could face another 10 years in prison in France.
French authorities want to try Noriega on charges that he laundered $7 million in drug profits through French banks and purchased luxury apartments with his wife in Paris.
Noriega's extradition opens up a whole new legal battle for the strongman who spent two decades behind bars in Florida for drug trafficking.
He was initially convicted in absentia on the money laundering charges, but France agreed to give him a new trial if he was extradited.
The 72-year-old Noriega arrived Tuesday morning on a direct flight from Miami and was served with an international arrest warrant. He could face another 10 years in prison if convicted in France.