WASHINGTON – The White House has instructed the US military to create options to increase the presence of US military forces in Panama to achieve Panama’s President Donald Trump’s goals, according to two US officials familiar with the plan.
In a joint speech to Congress last week, Trump said, “My administration will reclaim the Panama Canal to further strengthen our national security.” Since then, administrative authorities have not stated the meaning of “regeneration.”
The US Southern Command is developing a potential plan from partnering closer with Panama security forces to a closer partnership, to options that are less likely to force the US military to seize the Panama Canal, officials said. Whether military force is being used, it depends on how much Panama security forces agree to partner with the United States.
The Trump administration’s goal is to increase the presence of US troops in Panama and reduce China’s impact there, particularly access to the canal, officials said.
Panama and China denies foreign interference in the 50-mile canal. That neutrality is neutral to the Panama constitution. Chinese officials accused the US of using “forcement” to pressure Panama officials to block Chinese aid projects.
US officials told NBC News that US Southern Commander Commander Alvin Holsey presented a draft strategy to the Secretary of Defense this week. Hegseth is scheduled to visit Panama next month.
Officials warned that a US invasion in Panama is unlikely and that it will be seriously considered only if the presence of larger American forces in Panama fails to meet Trump’s goal of reclaiming the waterway, officials said.
Neither the Pentagon in Washington nor the Panama Embassy immediately responded to requests for comment.
Is the presence of Chinese people too big?
Trump said he intends to return ownership of the canal to the United States after Panama gained control of the region more than a quarter century ago under a treaty signed by the Carter administration.
Personally, Trump told his advisors he sees the presence of US troops in Panama and the canal itself as important to his efforts, US officials said. Trump also made it clear that our service members would like to be visible in the canal zone as a show of force.
Trump administration officials argue that China has too much presence near the canal. In the event of a conflict, they say, Beijing could close canals containing warships to American transport.
During his visit to Panama last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama President Jose Raul Murino that the current situation is unacceptable regarding China’s existence in Panama. Murino said the Panama government alone had managed the canal and in some way refused to operate the canal to China.
After Panama refused to renew a major infrastructure agreement with China, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jiang said the project was part of Beijing’s belt and road development initiative, which China “strongly opposes US creaks and street cooperation, and strongly opposes it through means of pressure and coercion.”
Last year, Army General Laura Richardson was now retired, and then the commander of the Southern Command testified to the House Armed Services Committee that China was “a long game.” Richardson warned that the Chinese government-backed economic development project is “double use sites and facilities” that could be quickly reversed and used for military purposes.
“The PRC has a message of investment being peaceful, but in reality, many will serve as future points of multi-domain access for PLAs and strategic naval chokepoints,” she said, referring to the Republic of China and the People’s Liberation Army. “Panama, a SOE, a state-owned enterprise managed by PRC, will continue to bid on projects related to the Panama Canal, a global strategic chokepoint.”
A possible US strategy
The US military has more than 200 troops in Panama, but the number fluctuates as the troops come and go, according to a defense official who spoke about the anonymous status. Some of them include special forces units working with the Panama army to protect the country from internal threats, rebellions or unrest.
Potential management strategies include simply ensuring that US vessels pass safely through the canal and restore total US ownership and operations, officials said. Other options under consideration include using the US military to secure existing ports in Panama, building new ports in Panama, and using the Army Corps of Engineers to drive canal locks.
Until the canal was officially handed over to Panama in 1999, there will also be discussions about the schools and training camps in the Army Jungle in Panama, as well as those trained by the US forces in the Jungle War.
Another focus of the ongoing plan could be to deploy US troops near Panama in the case of regional wars or threats to the US. In that scenario, the US military aims to secure canals and eliminate Chinese access. American officials warned that the US would block China’s passage through the canal only in the event of war.
The Panama Canal is one of the busiest waterways in the world, with most of the cargo coming from or heading out from the US. If the canal is blocked, the ship will have to pass through the South America area, which will require a significant increase in the cost and time of each voyage.
The United States built the canal from 1904 to 1914 after the French efforts failed. In 1977, after a long protest by the Panama people, President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty handing over control of the canal to Panama. In 1989, during the George HW Bush administration, US forces invaded Panama and expelled its leader, Manuel Noriega.
In a joint speech to Congress last week, Trump said the US was already moving to limit China’s presence on the canal. “Today, the American companies announced they are purchasing both ports around the Panama Canal and many other ports associated with the Panama Canal and several other canals,” he said.
US investment company BlackRock is part of a group that buys 90% of the Panama Port Company, which operates the ports of Balboa and Cristobal at the Pacific and Atlantic edges of the canal. The shares are purchased for $22.8 billion from Hong Kong-based company CK Hutchinson.
