Date

Dec 21, 1989

Description

This legal memorandum finds Bill Barr having to interpret several laws to conclude that is is not prohibited to combine State Department, Department of Justice, and Drug Enforcement Agency funds to pay out the ransom promised by the U.S. government for information leading to Noriega’s capture.

Source

George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, National Security Council Files, Nicholas Rostow Files, Folder, “Panama - Current (Daniel Levin) [6].”

Document published in following posting(s):

Imperial Prerogative: How the Panama Invasion and the “Barr Doctrine” Set the Stage for the Maduro “Snatch” Operation

Jan 16, 2026

William P. Barr, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Memorandum for Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, “Sources of Funds for $1,000,000 Reward for Information Leading to the Apprehension and Arrest of General Noriega,” December 21, 1989