Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug coalition
US Defence Secretary met Panama’s president and observed joint military exercises during the regional security summit
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug coalition
Photograph: Infobae (embedded from source)
What this story says
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the A3C forum in Panama on 12 August 2026, where Colombia’s government authorised joint military operations with the US against drug trafficking.
- The A3C coalition, formed under the Shield of the Americas framework, includes about 20 countries and serves as the operational arm of US Southern Command.
- Hegseth met Panama’s president and observed joint military exercises, including Panamax 2026, focused on defending the Panama Canal.
- Colombia’s participation follows the election of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has pledged to strengthen anti-narcotics cooperation with the US.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 9 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 5 of the 14 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
74/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
15/100
14 sources · methodology
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth travelled to Panama on 12 August 2026 to attend the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) forum. The coalition, formed under the Shield of the Americas framework, is led by the US and includes about 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It serves as the operational arm of US Southern Command.
Hegseth’s visit followed Colombia’s decision to join the coalition. Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, authorised joint military operations with the US against drug trafficking. Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, said the coalition must move from political discourse to unified action against criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and arms smuggling.
During the visit, Hegseth met Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino and observed joint military exercises, including the Curso de Operaciones en la Selva and Panamax 2026. The latter is a multinational exercise focused on defending the Panama Canal. Hegseth also visited the Cristóbal Colón Naval Air Base.
What the reports disagree on
The reports differ on the name of the US department responsible for the visit. Infobae referred to it as the "Department of Guerra," while other outlets used "Department of Defense" or did not specify. The reports also vary in describing the coalition’s membership: Infobae listed 18 countries, while other outlets described it as including about 20.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mentioned the 221 deaths reported by WOLA from Operation Lanza del Sur. The centre-rated digests also omitted this figure. None of the digests from the right or centre quoted Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, or described the coalition as part of the Trump administration’s hemispheric security policy, as Infobae did.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 12 Aug 2026, 22:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
1 rated outlet
- The left-rated report from Infobae led on the US offensive against drug trafficking and the security of the Panama Canal. It quoted Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, who warned that criminal organisations combine drug trafficking with money laundering, human trafficking, and arms smuggling. The report also cited WOLA’s figure of 221 deaths resulting from Operation Lanza del Sur, which targeted over 60 vessels.
- Infobae described the coalition as part of the Trump administration’s hemispheric security policy and noted Colombia’s participation under President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has pledged to strengthen anti-narcotics cooperation with the US. The report included details of Hegseth’s meetings with Panamanian and Colombian officials and his observation of joint military exercises.
Centre
4 rated outlets
- The centre-rated digests led on Colombia’s authorisation of joint military operations with the US. ANSA reported that Hegseth announced Colombia’s request and authorisation for such operations. The Hill and WTVB focused on Hegseth’s attendance at the A3C forum and his meeting with Panama’s president. TVN mentioned Hegseth’s previous visit to Panama in April 2025 and his participation in the Central American Security Conference.
- The centre-rated reports did not mention the number of deaths from Operation Lanza del Sur or the specific criminal activities of the organisations targeted by the coalition. They also did not quote Panama’s Minister of Public Security or describe the coalition as part of the Trump administration’s policy.
Right
4 rated outlets
- The right-rated digests led on Colombia’s inclusion in the coalition following the election of President Abelardo de la Espriella. The Straits Times and ussanews.com reported Hegseth’s welcome of Colombia into the coalition. BioBioChile focused on Hegseth’s visit to Panama to strengthen regional cooperation against drug trafficking, framing it as a priority for the Trump administration. The Epoch Times carried a live broadcast of Hegseth’s speech at the A3C conference.
- None of the right-rated digests mentioned the number of deaths from Operation Lanza del Sur or the specific criminal activities described by Panama’s Minister of Public Security. They also did not quote Ábrego or describe the coalition as part of the Trump administration’s hemispheric security policy.
Read it at the source
14 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
4- Hegseth, 'Colombia Authorizes Joint Military Operations to Drug Trafficking' (opens ANSA in a new tab)
- Hegseth welcomes Colombia to counter-drug alliance after its election (opens WTVB in a new tab)
- U.S. Secretary of War Arrives in Panama: What Does Your Official Agenda Contemplate? (opens TVN in a new tab)
- Hegseth travels to Panama as US deepens defense cooperation (opens The Hill in a new tab)
Right
4- Hegseth welcomes Colombia to counter-drug alliance after its election (opens The Straits Times in a new tab)
The Straits Times — is The Straits Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- WAR SECY HEGSETH SPEAKS AQT A3C CONFERENCE IN PANAMA (opens ussanews.com in a new tab)
ussanews.com — is ussanews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- LIVE NOW: War Secretary Hegseth Speaks at Americas Counter Cartel Coalition Conference in Panama (opens The Epoch Times in a new tab)
The Epoch Times — is The Epoch Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- With the Participation of Chile, Countries of the Shield of the Americas Meet This Wednesday in Panama (opens BioBioChile in a new tab)
BioBioChile — is BioBioChile biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
5- The Colombian Government Requests Military Cooperation From the US to Combat Drug Trafficking and Terrorism. (opens gaceta.es in a new tab)
- Colombia Asked Washington to Conduct Joint Military Operations Against Terrorism, Says U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (opens El Tiempo in a new tab)
- U.S.-Led Coalition Against Posters of the Americas Meets in Panama · Global Voices (opens Proceso Digital in a new tab)
Proceso Digital — is Proceso Digital biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US-Led Coalition Against Posters of the Americas Meets in Panama - Mexico's Sun (opens oem.com.mx in a new tab)
oem.com.mx — is oem.com.mx biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pentagon Chief Goes to a Forum of the Shield of the Americas Coalition in Panama Wednesday (opens El Economista in a new tab)
El Economista — is El Economista biased? Our profile of this outlet
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug…?
- Of the 9 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 11% are rated left, 45% are rated centre, 44% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 14. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug… left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 9 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug… biased?
- Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug coalition is one event reported by 14 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Hegseth attends A3C forum in Panama as Colombia joins US-led drug…?
- 14 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the A3C coalition?
- The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) is a US-led military coalition of about 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It serves as the operational arm of US Southern Command and was formed under the Shield of the Americas framework to combat drug trafficking and organised crime.
- Why did Colombia join the A3C coalition?
- Colombia joined the A3C coalition after its new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, authorised joint military operations with the US against drug trafficking. De la Espriella has pledged to strengthen anti-narcotics cooperation with the Trump administration.
- What did Pete Hegseth do during his visit to Panama?
- During his visit to Panama on 12 August 2026, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the A3C forum, met Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, and observed joint military exercises, including Panamax 2026, which focuses on defending the Panama Canal.
How did this read?
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