SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Good afternoon. It's a privilege to be here in Panama. Minister Abrego, thank you for an incredibly productive visit. The same goes for our friend, President Mulino. President Mulino and his administration are a great ally of the United States. We are deeply grateful for the friendship of our Panamanian counterparts, your partnership and your leadership here in Panama and across the region.
We face shared security challenges and common threats. Together, we will deter them by increasing our defenses and achieving peace through strength. Since President Trump was elected, our two nations have done more to strengthen cooperation in a few months than we have in decades. And President Mulino, who we met with earlier, we have you to thank in large part for that as well.
We're partnering closely in three areas: first, securing our borders and stopping mass illegal migration. What Panama has done in the Darien Gap is incredible, crossings down 99 percent since a year ago. Second, we're countering violent cartels and criminal enterprises. And third, we're securing the Panama Canal and countering China's malign influence. The Panama Canal is key terrain that must be secured by Panama with America and not China.
To that end, that is why the United States and Panama have just signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperative security activities, and will be signing, just moments after this press conference, a joint declaration with the Minister of Canal Affairs on the security and operation of the Panama Canal, which is a framework for US warship and auxiliary ships to sail first and free through the Panama Canal.
These documents reaffirm our historic ties and outline how we will deepen our relationship and strengthen bilateral canal security cooperation. It also builds on the great work started by our Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and his team. This memorandum of understanding will increase joint training exercises, operations and overall interoperability between our two forces, reestablishing rotational and joint presence at Fort Sherman, Rodman Naval Station and Howard Air Force Base. At Fort Sherman, reviving the Jungle School alongside Panamanian forces.
Our expanded security relationship will also enhance cyber cooperation, information sharing, bilateral security dialogs and canal infrastructure improvements. These steps are going to help Panama deter and counter malign activity in the areas surrounding the canal. Our countries reaffirmed our shared commitment to protecting Panamanian sovereignty from malign influence. And we recognize the foundational importance of our constitutional government, including respect for our neutrality treaty.
We've also been working closely with the Panama Canal Authority, and we will further increase our cooperation with each other. The Army — the US Army Corps of Engineers is one example. They were critical in building the canal over 120 years ago and have partnered closely with the Canal Authority for many years.
The Canal Authority will continue to pay the Corps of Engineers for their expertise and technical support. This will help ensure the canal's long-term sustainability. And this summer, the USNS Comfort, a naval hospital ship, will visit Panama and provide medical help and deepen bilateral relationships between our service members and our people.
Beyond our important bilateral relationship with Panama, I'm proud to be here to participate in the Central America Security Conference. So, thank you again, Minister Abrego, Admiral Holsey, Commander of US Southern Command, doing a fantastic job, for convening this important regional security forum. It was great to meet so many partners earlier this morning and last night and hear how we are working together, training together and exercising together.
In fact, right now partnering with Panama, we have two cruisers, two USS Coast Guard cutters, F-18 fighters, a US Marine Corps infantry company, over 1,000 US troops supporting partner operations in Panama. Together with Panama, we're focused on strengthening our security cooperation and countering malign influence.
The security of our hemisphere is a top priority for the United States Department of Defense. Our mission is simple, achieve peace through strength through an America first approach. As I've said before, America First does not mean America alone; rather, putting America First, a phrase coined by President Trump and advanced in our interests means making our alliances and partnerships make sense for the American people and our friends. As he says, it's common sense.
In this region as we put America first, we are putting the Americas first as well. We're doing this by confronting shared threats and shared challenges in this hemisphere starting, as President Trump has led the way, by securing our southern border, getting 100 percent operational control because border security is national security, and it starts at home.
We're doing this by stopping illegal migration, destroying transnational cartels and gangs, and ending the era of capitulation to coercion to the Communist Chinese. As I said yesterday, we are helping to take back the Panama Canal from Communist Chinese influence. Like our partners across Central America and South America, the United States wants a hemisphere that is secure, prosperous and full of sovereign nations.
This is not about globalism or foreign adventurism. This is a golden age of clear-eyed Americanism and shared national interests. We want this to be a golden age for our countries together and for this hemisphere. We want, in short, not only to make America great again, but to make the Americas great again.
And we will achieve these goals together standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies and partners with President Trump leading the way. So again, I want to thank President Mulino, Minister Abrego for being valued partners and for hosting us in your beautiful country. And with that, we look forward to your questions.
Q: [Untranslated]
PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTER FRANK ABREGO: [Untranslated]
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I appreciate the question. We certainly understand that the Panama Canal is in Panama, and protecting Panamanian sovereignty from malign influence is important. Which is why when President Trump says we're taking back the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, that involves partnership with the United States and Panama. And we're grateful that they've welcomed US troops on Panamanian soil by invitation through rotational joint exercises.
And that's what you'll see in the memorandum of understanding is an opportunity to revive whether it's the military base, naval air station, locations where US troops can work with Panamanian troops to enhance capabilities and cooperate in a rotational way. We welcome the opportunity to have an increased troop presence here alongside the Panamanians to secure the sovereignty of the Panama Canal.
Q: Are your plans to make it permanent?
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Ultimately, we look forward to a long relationship with the country of Panama and that would be in deliberation with the leadership of Panama.
UNKNOWN: Okay, I'm gonna go with [inaudible].
Q: Well, thank you, secretary. Thank you, minister. Two parts if I may. Number one, the Chinese responded quite aggressively to your trip saying — well, accusing the US of blackmail. So, I thought I'd just ask you, have you blackmailed anyone? And minister, do you feel blackmailed at all?
My second question is for the minister about Taiwanese sovereignty. This country has ceased to recognize Taiwan since 2017. Did Taiwan come up in your conversations this week? And is that something you'll pursue again? Thank you.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: Well, I don't know anything about blackmail — appreciate the question — but I do know about strength, peace through strength and deterrence. You're seeing strength from President Trump with tariffs, with reciprocal tariffs, recognizing that he's willing to protect American industries and American workers from unfair trade practices that have existed for decades, and no one stood up on behalf of America. President Trump is doing that in real time right now.
And at the Defense Department, whether it was our trip to the Indo-Pacific and the Philippines, Japan and Guam and elsewhere, or here in the Panama Canal and with our Panamanian partners, we're standing up to malign Chinese influence. And simply saying a strong America that deters that influence in our own backyard, in our hemisphere, is good for us, good for our partners and creates opportunities for freedom in the future.
So again, this is not about — we want peace, we seek peace, we don't seek conflict, but we believe that conflict does not come the stronger we are. And we're happy to speak it clearly, which President Trump has always been willing to speak that clearly, which is why we point out here clearly the malign influence of the Communist Chinese and their attempt to leverage it in the Panama Canal or Panama Canal area, which does not serve Panamanian interests or American interests. And that's something we will stand up for every day.
Q: [Untranslated]
PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTER ABREGO: [Untranslated]
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I appreciate the question. We're calling it, and we said in our statement yesterday, first and free — first and free for US and Panamanian vessels, military and auxiliary vessels, in partnership. That's why after this we're signing with the Minister of Canal Affairs.
But it is in keeping with the understanding of the Panama Constitution, with the authorities of the Panama Canal, so we've worked directly with Panamanian leadership, with the Canal authority to make sure it's arranged in such a way that it is first and free and is in keeping with their understanding. And that we'll be signing that framework, which is what it Is today, a framework, right after this press conference with the Minister of Canal Affairs.
But it was important to us that, in moments of contingency, our troops can travel first and free. We're grateful that our Panamanian partners are working with us on that. Absolutely. Thank you.
Q: Bill Stewart from Reuters. Good afternoon. Secretary Hegseth, did you provide assurances that the United States would not intervene militarily to take over the Panama Canal, or is that contingent on what happens with Chinese presence here in Panama? And your top general in Europe said yesterday, the United States should keep its military presence on the Continent as it is now.
Do you agree and are you considering relinquishing the [inaudible] post to a non-American? And to Minister Abrego, would Panama accept a permanent deployment of US troops or the establishment of a permanent US military base on Panamanian soil? And if not, why not? Thanks.
SECRETARY HEGSETH: I would just start by saying the only person that will make a determination about force structure of US troops in Europe will be President Trump, commander in chief. And we will continue to have ongoing discussions, including inside the context of Ukraine, Russia, negotiations, of what our force posture should be on the continent, that best addresses American interests and ensures burden-sharing in Europe as well.
To the question about Chinese influence, we are focused on working together with our Panamanian partners to ensure that malign Chinese influence is not allowed to take any additional hold and is in fact expelled from the Panama Canal and the Panama Canal area. And they've been very fruitful conversations throughout the ministration [ph].
PUBLIC SECURITY MINISTER ABREGO: [Untranslated]
SECRETARY HEGSETH: What the minister has said is what the media tries to do very hard is to divide us. And what we call that in the states, Mr. Minister, is fake news. So, thank you. Thank you.
UNKNOWN: [Untranslated]