The Trump Regime has directed senior Defense officials to begin drawing up plans for increasing the American military presence in Panama with the option to use force to re-seize control of the Canal Zone if leadership of the small Central American country resist a build-up, NBC News reports.
There are currently roughly 200 mostly special forces personnel stationed in Panama whom, per NBC’s sources, are there to guard against internal insurgencies or unrest. Though the number fluctuates, it’s nothing on the scale of the pre-1999 Canal Zone territory populated by thousands of members and their families. NBC writes “The officials cautioned that a US invasion of Panama is unlikely and would only come under serious consideration if a larger American military presence in Panama does not achieve President Donald Trump’s goal of reclaiming the waterway.”
So one way or another there are going to be boots on the ground in the country.