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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to Panama this week to chair the second Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) Forum, participate in the PANAMAX 2026 military exercise focused on the defense of the Panama Canal, and conduct bilateral meetings with regional leaders.
On August 12, 2026, Hegseth, serving as A3C Chairman, addressed Ministers and Chiefs of Defense from Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. He emphasized moving the coalition into practical action against narco-terrorism across the region.
On August 13, Hegseth took part in PANAMAX 2026, U.S. Southern Command’s premier multinational training exercise centered on the collective defense of the Panama Canal and surrounding areas. He spoke with U.S. servicemembers and partner forces about sustaining readiness, maintaining lethality against threats to the Canal, and destroying narco-terrorism in the region.
On the margins of the A3C gathering, Hegseth met with Panamanian President José Mulino, reaffirming the importance of the U.S.-Panama relationship for Canal security and addressing regional threats. He thanked Mulino for hosting PANAMAX 2026 and underscored the need for greater collaboration against narcoterrorism in Central America.
Hegseth also met with Jamaican Deputy Prime Minister Horace Chang, commending Jamaica’s support for U.S. counter-drug operations and encouraging continued progress in efforts to counter narco-terrorism.
In talks with Colombian Minister of National Defense Jorge Eduardo Mora López, the two sides advanced bilateral defense cooperation. Hegseth reaffirmed U.S. support for President Abelardo de la Espriella’s initiatives to reverse recent security declines and restore sovereign territorial control in Colombia. The meeting marked Colombia’s accession as the newest A3C member and the signing of an Access, Basing and Overflight agreement with the United States.
Before departing, Hegseth visited U.S. forces participating in the Combined Jungle Operations Training Course and met with the commander and U.S. service members stationed with Joint Security Cooperation Group – Panama.
