US Defense Secretary Hegseth to visit Panama next week

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel early next week to Panama where he will participate in an annual Central American security conference, the Pentagon said on Friday.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth would hold bilateral meetings at the conference "that will drive ongoing efforts to strengthen our partnerships with Panama and other Central American nations toward our shared vision for a peaceful and secure Western Hemisphere."

U.S. President Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to "take back" the Panama Canal, which is considered one of the world's most strategically important waterways, but he has not offered specifics about how he would do so, or if military action might be required.