Operation Acid Gambit

Operation Acid Gambit
Part of the United States invasion of Panama
Operation Acid Gambit is located in Panama
Panama City
Panama City
Operation Acid Gambit (Panama)
Date20 December 1989
Location
Panama City, Panama
Result

American victory

  • Prisoner extracted successfully
Belligerents
United States United States Panama Panama
Commanders and leaders
United States Col. Peter J. Schoomaker
United States Eldon Bargewell
United States Gary L. Harrell		 Panama Manuel Noriega
Panama Unknown
Units involved
1st SFOD-D
Night Stalkers		 Panama Defense Forces
Strength
23 Delta Operators
4 MH-6 helicopters		 unknown
Casualties and losses
4 wounded
1 helicopter crashed		 5 killed
1 captured

Operation Acid Gambit took place as an opening action of the United States invasion of Panama, on 20 December 1989. It was a U.S. Delta Force operation that retrieved Kurt Muse, an American expatriate living in Panama who had been arrested for leading a plot with other Panamanian to overthrow of the government of Panama, from the Cárcel Modelo, a notorious prison in Panama City.