Miami ? Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, set to be released from federal prison next month, will soon be extradited to France. A judge in Miami ruled Tuesday that Noriega can face money-laundering charges there despite his status as a prisoner of war.

His extradition will close a chapter of U.S. history that began with President George H.W. Bush’s controversial decision in 1989 to invade Panama to capture Noriega.

Noriega was convicted of taking millions of dollars from Colombian cartels while turning his country into a narcotics hub for cocaine bound for the United States.

Noriega, who is being released after 18 years of imprisonment because of automatic parole and good behavior, sought to return to Panama, where he is wanted on more serious charges, including murder. In France, he could serve up to 10 more years in prison on charges related to his 1992 drug-racketeering conviction in Miami.