There's a lot going on within the ranks of the Trump administration, and the situation with the Panama Canal is still front and center, especially for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

According to Fox News, Hegseth made a major announcement this week regarding the ability of U.S. warships to travel "first and free" through the canal, marking a significant win for the Department of Defense and the White House. 

The news came in the wake of Secretary of State Marco Rubio failing to hammer out a solid agreement between the United States and Panama regarding U.S. warships.

Panama rejected the idea at the time and refused to let ships sail through the canal for free.

What's going on?

Hegseth's announcement was huge, to say the least. President Donald Trump was presumably thrilled that one of his top guys was able to negotiate a deal in favor of the United States, especially on the military front.

Fox News noted:

Hegseth said the two countries had already signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation and that they would finalize a document guaranteeing U.S. warships and auxiliary vessels priority, toll-free passage through the canal.

At a press conference announcing the deal, Hegseth said, "We’ll be signing a Declaration… for U.S. WARSHIPS & AUXILIARY SHIPS to sail FIRST and FREE through the Panama Canal."

BREAKING:🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL — AMERICA JUST TOOK BACK THE PANAMA CANAL 🚨

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just dropped the HAMMER:

🗣️ “We’ll be signing a Declaration… for U.S. WARSHIPS & AUXILIARY SHIPS to sail FIRST and FREE through the Panama Canal.”

🔥 FREE PASSAGE.
🔥… pic.twitter.com/xepezYguga

— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) April 10, 2025

Hegseth also warned that China's military presence in the area was becoming too "large of a presence" in the area.

"Make no mistake, Beijing is investing and operating in this region for military advantage and unfair economic gain," Hegseth said.

"China's military has too large of a presence in the Western Hemisphere. They operate military facilities and ground stations that extend their reach into space. They exploit natural resources and land to fuel China's global military ambitions. China's factory fishing fleets are stealing food from our nations and from our people."

Social media reacts

Users across social media cheered Hegseth for striking the deal.

"Big moves! This is a game changer for strategic access and keeping things flowing smoothly. Excited to see how this plays out," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Even more winning."