President Donald J. Trump is directing the Pentagon to develop plans for a strategic increase in U.S. military personnel at the Panama Canal as part of the American First leader’s goal of retaking control of the vital shipping passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The move follows President Trump’s joint address to Congress last week, in which he pledged that “to further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal.”
U.S. Southern Command is evaluating various strategies, ranging from enhanced collaboration with the Panamanian military to more aggressive measures such as a potential military takeover of the canal, Pentagon officials say. The necessity of military action would depend on Panama’s willingness to cooperate. A number of draft strategies are believed to have already been presented to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth by the head of Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey.
While a U.S. invasion of Panama remains a remote possibility, an increased military presence is under consideration to secure U.S. access to the canal. The U.S. currently has a fluctuating military presence in Panama, with approximately 200 troops, including Special Forces units.
President Trump contends that American control of the Panama Canal is necessary to diminish China’s influence in Panama. However, both Panama and China have rebuffed the notion of the canal’s return to U.S. control, with Chinese representatives labeling U.S. efforts as “coercive.”
