March 14th, 2025: Pentagon Draws Up Plans For Retaking The Panama Canal & Taiwan Hits Back At China's Infiltration And Espionage Campaign
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What plans does the Pentagon have for the Panama Canal?
First up, the White House has directed the Pentagon to draw up several options for increasing the American troop presence in Panama in order to achieve President Trump's goal of, quote, retaking the Panama Canal. These plans reportedly range from partnering with local security forces to seizing the strategic trade route by force. Later in the show, negotiations between Israel and Hamas on extending their fragile ceasefire in Gaza have reportedly stalled, though the White House is scrambling to find a temporary fix to prevent a return to fighting. Plus, tensions are once again rising in the South China Sea, as Taiwan's president warns that Beijing has expanded its influence campaigns, infiltration efforts, and spying operations in an attempt to weaken the island's defenses.
And in today's Back of the Brief, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was taken into custody by the International Criminal Court, the ICC, in the Netherlands on Wednesday on murder charges, following his arrest in Manila over a bloody years-long drug war that left thousands dead. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. President Trump is intensifying his push to carve out a new sphere of influence for America by potentially seizing overseas territories, with his sights trained squarely right now on the Panama Canal. According to an exclusive report from NBC News, the White House has directed the U.S. military to begin drawing up plans for boosting America's troop presence in Panama in order to, quote, "...reclaim the strategic waterway and diminish China's influence in the region."
The options reportedly vary, from partnering with Panamanian security forces to secure the port operations, to essentially invading Panama and seizing the canal outright, though officials said the use of the military force is a far less likely outcome. Sources with U.S. Southern Command told NBC News that whether or not some form of military action is taken will depend entirely on how willing Panamanian leaders are to cooperate with U.S. efforts. While details are sparse, officials said that the commander of U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Halsey, presented draft strategies to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth earlier this week. They come as Secretary Hegseth prepares for a scheduled visit to Panama next month. So, what do the Pentagon's possible strategies entail? As you might imagine, at this stage, the details remain unclear. But sources told NBC News that one avenue would simply involve increasing the number of U.S. troops stationed in the country to ensure U.S. ships have safe passage through the canal.
Currently, the U.S. only has roughly 200 troops in-country, including special forces units who partner with Panamanian forces to protect the canal from internal threats. Another option under consideration is using the U.S. military to secure existing ports in Panama, deploying the Army Corps of Engineers to build new ports, and placing operation of the canal's locks under the control of the U.S. military. The White House is also mulling strategies to restore complete U.S. ownership of the canal, as well as positioning troops near Panama so that they could quickly secure the strategic waterway and block Chinese access in the event of a conflict. As we've been tracking on the PDB, President Trump has long said he intends to take back the waterway from the Panamanian government, citing the threat of China's influence at the canal's ports. Last week, during his address to a joint session of Congress, Trump formally declared the U.S.
would be, quote, reclaiming the Panama Canal, saying, quote, we didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back, end quote. For some background, the American-built canal has been solely controlled by Panama for 25 years after the U.S. returned the Panama Canal Zone to the country in 1979 and ended a joint partnership in controlling the strategic waterway back in 1999.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What plans does the Pentagon have for the Panama Canal?
0:25–4:35
2
What is the current status of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations?
4:35–7:56
3
How is Taiwan responding to China's espionage efforts?
7:56
4
What are the implications of Rodrigo Duterte's transfer to the ICC?
1:37–6:29
5
What strategies is the U.S. considering to counter China's influence?
6:29–18:04
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The President's Daily Brief
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