Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal, the world's second busiest interoceanic waterway.

In recent weeks, when he was President-elect Donald Trump publicly said that Panama should return the Panama Canal to the United States, and he would not rule out using military force to reclaim it. At his presidential Inauguration on Monday Trump doubled down on saying that his new administration was going to take back the canal.

President Donald Trump cannot take the Panama Canal — at least not legally — as he would be violating every single treaty that the U.S. has come into with Panama since 1945, international law and national security experts told WLRN.

Stephanie: In response to Trump’s inauguration speech, Panama President José Raúl Mulino said that “ the canal is and will remain Panama’s .” As you noted, Trump has already floated the idea of using military force to retake the canal. Do you think this could actually come to pass?

Russia warned President Trump on Tuesday against seizing the Panama Canal, after he reiterated his intent to take control of the strategic waterway in his second inaugural address Monday.

President Trump is reportedly dispatching his newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Panama for his first foreign trip. Here's what's at stake.