Hegseth Urges Nearly 20 Latin American Allies to Ditch the ICC as Colombia Signs On to U.S. Coalition

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a forum of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition in Panama City on August 12, 2026. Colombia has authorized the United States to conduct joint military operations in its fight against drug trafficking, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in Panama on August 12. (Credit: by DANIEL DE CARTERET / AFP via Getty Images))

PANAMA CITY — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — whose department has operated under the secondary title "Department of War" since a Trump executive order last September — called on close to 20 Latin American and Caribbean governments to formally sever ties with the International Criminal Court, casting the tribunal as a threat to national sovereignty during a security summit in Panama on Wednesday.

"Not Unelected International Bureaucrats"