MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump is easily the most famous person to be indicted in Miami, but the South Florida city has had its share of high-profile cases at the downtown federal court building.
The federal court in Miami has hosted trials for a former leader of Panama, a U.S. terror suspect, a rapper and a South Florida mayor, according to the Miami Herald.
The Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Federal Courthouse, built in 2005, is now the main venue for the Southern District of Florida. It is named for Wilkie Demeritte Ferguson, Jr., who was appointed as a judge for the district in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. That is where Trump was arraigned on Tuesday.
Here are some of the notable defendants who have been arraigned in Miami.
Manuel Noriega
Gen. Manuel Noriega was the dictator of Panama and was also a drug runner, the Herald reported. In 1988, Noriega was indicted Noriega on drug-running charges in 1988.
He surrendered to U.S. troops in 1990 and was flown to Miami, according to the newspaper.
Noriega was convicted in 1992 of drug trafficking and money laundering after a seven-month trial, The New York Times reported.
During his trial, Noriega gave a two-hour speech, quoting Hillary Clinton and Socrates, among others, according to the newspaper.
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison and later went to Panama, where he served time in his country. He died on May 29, 2017.
Lil Wayne
Rapper Lil Wayne was charged with illegally possessing a gold-plated gun despite being a convicted felon., the Times reported.
The rapper, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., pleaded guilty in December 2020 in a virtual hearing. He pwas ardoned by Trump a month later, shortly before the president left office, according to the newspaper. Lil Wayne had been facing several years in aederal prison, the Herald reported.
Lil Wayne expressed his gratitude in a tweet, saying “I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give to my family, my art, and my community.”
Raul Martinez
Raul Martinez was the mayor of the Miami suburb of Hialeah during the 1980s, the Herald reported. He was indicted in 1990, accused of extorting nearly $1 million in cash and real estate from developers in exchange for favorable zoning approvals, according to the newspaper.
Martinez was convicted in 1991 but remained free while appealing the case. He ran for mayor again in 1993 and won the election. In 1994, the conviction was reversed.
Jose Padilla
Jose Padilla was a Chicago gang member. Federal prosecutors accused him of becoming an al-Qaida recruiter after moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Herald reported.
In November 2005, a Miami federal grand jury indicted Padilla on charges of conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and providing materials support to terrorists, according to the newspaper. He was found guilty in August 2007.
In September 2014, a federal judge sentenced Padilla to 21 years in prison. He remains in a federal prison in Colorado, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
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