Informants in the Panamanian military protected close associates of Gen. Manuel A. Noriega when reporting to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on lesser-known narcotics suspects, a defense witness acknowledged at Noriega's drug-trafficking trial in Miami. The testimony of former DEA agent James Bramble, who earlier had told jurors of Noriega's assistance in U.S. anti-drug efforts, was seen as a significant victory for federal prosecutors.