Sec Hegseth to visit Panama after Trump's demands for canal's return

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is slated to conscionable with Panama leaders adjacent week amid President Donald Trump's continued efforts to regain power of the cardinal strategical and subject resource. 

The Trump medication has been outspoken astir nationalist information threats presented by alleged Chinese interference.

During a February sojourn to the country, Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote successful an X station that "the United States cannot, and volition not, let the Chinese Communist Party to proceed with its effectual and increasing power implicit the Panama Canal area." 

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed connected Friday the secretary of defense volition be the 2025 Central American Security Conference, participating successful discussions that volition "drive ongoing efforts to fortify the U.S.'s partnerships with Panama and different Central American nations," according to a study from the Associated Press.

A cargo vessel navigates connected the Panama Canal adjacent to the enlargement task of the Panama Canal connected the Pacific broadside successful Panama City, November 17, 2015. (Reuters)

PANAMA DENIES STATE DEPT CLAIM THAT IT IS ELIMINATING FEES FOR US GOV VESSELS USING CANAL

The president, who has criticized the six-figure premiums imposed connected U.S. ships traveling on the captious waterway, antecedently suggested repurchasing the canal.

It was built by the U.S. implicit the span of aggregate decades, but was yet handed implicit to Panama during the Carter administration.

The "Panama Canal Repurchase Act," a measure that was precocious introduced successful Congress, would springiness Trump the authorization to negociate with due Panamanian authorities officials to reacquire the Panama Canal.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a NATO Defence Ministers gathering astatine the Alliance's office successful Brussels, Belgium connected Feb. 13, 2025. (Reuters/Yves Herman)

CHINA, HONG KONG THREATEN TO THWART SALE OF PANAMA CANAL PORTS TO AMERICA'S BLACKROCK

Panama President José Raúl Mulino antecedently said China does not person power implicit the canal and accused Trump of "lying" astir perchance acquiring it, according to the AP.

BlackRock, Inc. aboriginal announced a $23 cardinal woody with Hong Kong-based CK Hutchinson to instrumentality ownership of the Panamanian ports of Cristobal and Balboa, on with 43 ports successful 23 different countries, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.

Two cargo ships participate the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal successful Panama City connected Jan. 22. (Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images)

The canal could beryllium utilized arsenic leverage for China successful U.S. tariff negotiations.

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Hegseth volition besides sojourn Eglin Air Force Base successful Florida to conscionable with subject members and enactment astatine the 7th Special Forces Group, according to the AP.

Fox News' Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.