Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to Panama this week to lead the second Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) Forum in his role as A3C Chairman, participate in the PANAMAX 2026 military exercise in defense of the Panama Canal, and host bilateral engagements with key leaders in the Western Hemisphere.
On August 12, 2026, Secretary Hegseth, 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. During his remarks, the Secretary stressed the importance of operationalizing the coalition against narco-terrorism in the region.
On August 13, 2026, Secretary Hegseth participated in PANAMAX 2026: United States Southern Command's (USSOUTHCOM) premier multinational training exercise focused on the collective defense of the Panama Canal and the surrounding region. During the exercise, the Secretary spoke to U.S. servicemembers and partner forces about the importance of maintaining readiness, lethality against threats to the Panama Canal, and destroying narco-terrorism in the region.
On the sidelines of A3C, Secretary Hegseth met with Panamanian President José Mulino. During the meeting, the Secretary reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Panama relationship in securing the Panama Canal and combatting regional threats. He thanked President Mulino for his leadership in hosting PANAMAX 2026, and emphasized the need for greater collaboration against narcoterrorism in Central America.
Additionally, Secretary Hegseth met with Jamaican Deputy Prime Minister Horace Chang. He praised Jamaica's support for U.S. counter-drug operations and encouraged Jamaica's continued progress to counter narco-terrorism.
Secretary Hegseth also met with Colombian Minister of National Defense Jorge Eduardo Mora López to deepen bilateral defense cooperation. He reaffirmed U.S. support for President Abelardo de la Espriella's efforts to reverse recent security declines and restore sovereign territorial control in Colombia. The meeting also marked Colombia's accession as the newest member of the A3C and signed an Access, Basing and Overflight agreement with the United States.
Before departing, Secretary Hegseth visited U.S. Forces participating in the Combined Jungle Operations Training Course (CJOTC) and met with the commander and U.S service members stationed with Joint Security Cooperation Group – Panama.
