US carrier USS Nimitz and destroyer USS Gridley arrive in Panama for exercises

Full article

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and the destroyer USS Gridley arrived in Panamanian waters as part of a multinational maritime cooperation exercise in the region, the Associated Press reported. The USS Nimitz docked in the Gulf of Panama on Monday, while the USS Gridley anchored the previous day in Panama City, according to the report. Both vessels are scheduled to remain in Panamanian waters through April 2.

The Associated Press said the visit was part of “Mares del Sur 2026,” an exercise described as including maritime operations with forces from countries across the region, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Uruguay. The exercise also includes expert exchanges and, the report said, planned port visits in Brazil, Chile and Jamaica.

In a statement cited by the Associated Press, the U.S. Embassy in Panama said the presence of the carrier demonstrated what it called the strength of the bilateral relationship with Panama. The Embassy said the visit shows “demuestra la solidez de la relación bilateral entre Estados Unidos y Panamá y la importancia que Estados Unidos otorga a sus estrechos lazos” with the Central American country, according to the report.

The Associated Press reported that U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera told reporters in the context of the ships’ visit that the Panama Canal is not free of threats posed by narcotics trafficking and organized crime. Cabrera said, in the report, that canal security is a “responsabilidad que asuminos juntos,” adding that it would be addressed through information sharing, joint operations and the development of capabilities.

The Associated Press said the USS Nimitz is not planned to cross the Panama Canal because its size exceeds the dimensions of the locks on the commercial waterway. The report also said the carrier’s scheduled presence is linked to the exercise’s maritime cooperation objectives rather than transit through the canal itself.

Panama’s Security Minister Frank Abrego told the Associated Press that the exercise would not commit Panama to anything in particular. Abrego said the exercises “no compromete en nada en particular” al país.

Before the ships arrived, the Associated Press said Carlos Sardiello, identified as the commander of the Naval Forces of the U.S. Southern Command and the Fourth Fleet, issued a statement describing the purpose of the deployment. In that statement, Sardiello said the “Mares del Sur 2026” deployment “ofrece una oportunidad única para mejorar la interoperabilidad y aumentar la capacidad operativa con nuestras fuerzas asociadas en el ámbito marítimo,” according to the report.