PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to participate in the 2025 Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), followed by a stop at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Who’s Involved: Hegseth will engage with senior civilian and military leaders from Panama and across Central America. He will also visit with members of the 7th Special Forces Group in Florida. The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam will accompany the Secretary on the trip.

Why It Matters: As instability and transnational criminal activity rise in the region, Hegseth’s visit underscores the United States’ intent to deepen regional defense partnerships and maintain leadership in the Western Hemisphere.

Where & When: The trip begins early next week. Hegseth will first stop in Panama City, Panama, before traveling to Eglin AFB in Florida.

Official Word: “This trip supports our shared vision for a peaceful and secure Western Hemisphere,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell.

IN FULL:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week for the 2025 Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), where he’ll hold high-level meetings with regional defense officials to strengthen U.S. partnerships in the Western Hemisphere. He will then continue to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to visit U.S. troops stationed with the elite 7th Special Forces Group.

The trip comes as U.S. officials look to solidify military relationships across Latin America amid rising concerns over cartel activity, Chinese influence operations, and political instability throughout the region. Hegseth’s meetings will include a series of bilateral sit-downs with senior military, civilian, and security leaders from Panama and neighboring nations.

Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell framed the visit as part of a broader push to reinforce regional security cooperation. “This trip supports our shared vision for a peaceful and secure Western Hemisphere,” Parnell said.

The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief, Raheem Kassam, will accompany Secretary Hegseth on the trip. This is a refreshing instance of an independent media figure embedded in an official Department of Defense delegation. Kassam will provide exclusive coverage and commentary on the trip’s proceedings, especially for members of The National Pulse.

CENTSEC, hosted annually, serves as a strategic venue for U.S. and Central American officials to coordinate efforts on transnational threats, narcotics trafficking, and irregular migration patterns—issues that have taken on renewed urgency since the Biden government’s destructive open border policies.

Following the conference in Panama City, Hegseth will travel to Eglin AFB to meet with command leadership and service members attached to the 7th Special Forces Group, a key unit in America’s unconventional warfare and regional engagement strategy.

The visit to Central America and one of the U.S. military’s premier special operations installations underscores the Pentagon’s dual mission: to build stronger partnerships abroad while maintaining elite readiness at home.

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