Nakon smrti Omara Torrijosa i dva manje politički utjecajna nasljednika, na vlast dolazi Manuel Noriega, koji je ujedinio sve oružane formacije Paname i osnovao Panamske odbrambene snage (Fuerzas de defensa Panama). Uspostavio je jaki obavještajni odijel G-2 i nekoliko njemu lojalnih vojnih jedinica, kao naprimjer 7. pješadijska četa „Machos de Monte“ (nazvana po vrsti veoma agresivnog planinskog vepra) kao i UESAT („Unidades Especiales de Servicio Anti Terror“) protivterorističke jedinice obučavane od strane izraelskih instruktora. Panamske odbrambene snage su se pokazale totalno neefikasne kao borbene snage jer su ih Oružane snage SAD-a prilikom invazije i rušenja njima nesklone vlasti lako porazile.

      After Torrijos' death, and two successive commanders with lesser political influence, the position was eventually assumed by Manuel Noriega, who merged all of Panama's armed forces under his command as the Panamanian Defense Forces. He built the PDF into a structured force, and further consolidated the dictatorship. Having set up a strong intelligence department called G-2, and several loyal military unit, like the 7th Inf. Co. "Machos de Monte" (Mountain Machos, a guerrilla warfare unit named after a sort of aggressive wild boar), the UESAT (Unidades Especiales de Servicio Anti Terror, an Israeli trained counter terrorism strike force). PDF was showed to be largely ineffective as a combat force during Operational Just Cause, when U.S. Forces invaded Panama and overthrew Noriega in 1989.