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By Jesus Mesa and Amanda Castro
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Admiral Alvin Holsey, who has led U.S. military efforts in Latin America for less than a year, will step down as commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) at the end of 2025, marking another high-profile departure from the Pentagon during a turbulent period of American military escalation in the Caribbean.
The Defense Department confirmed the retirement of Holsey, a 37-year Navy veteran, amid a widening campaign of U.S. strikes targeting drug smuggling operations off the Venezuelan coast. Holsey, who took command in late 2024, announced his decision in a message shared on X.
“It’s been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend the Constitution for over 37 years,” he wrote, adding, “Serving as your commander and deputy for the past 34 months has been a tremendous honor.”
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Why It Matters
Holsey's resignation comes as the U.S. has stepped up its presence in the region, deploying about 10,000 troops, eight warships, and a submarine in the Caribbean, while authorizing lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea. U.S. officials say the mission aims to curb narcotics trafficking and counter the influence of hostile states and nonstate actors in the hemisphere.
It also marks the latest in a series of high-level Pentagon departures under the leadership of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, including several other senior officers who are women or people of color.
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What To Know
Separate reports from The New York Times and Bloomberg noted growing tension between Hegseth and Holsey, who had been in the position for less than a year. Military insiders have described his departure as “abrupt,” pointing out that SOUTHCOM commanders typically serve three-year terms.
"Alvin Holsey only took over Southern Command late last year for a position that normally lasts three years. A source told Reuters that there had been tension between him and Hegseth and questions about whether he would be fired in the days leading up to the announcement," Reuters defense reporter Jonathan Landay wrote on X.
Hegseth later confirmed that Holsey “will retire at the end of the year,” offering no further comment on his future or the selection of his successor.
Just days before his resignation, Holsey had visited Antigua and Barbuda as well as Grenada for a series of high-level diplomatic meetings, part of a broader U.S. effort to strengthen regional partnerships amid the ongoing military buildup.
During his brief tenure, Holsey oversaw six lethal strikes by U.S. Special Operations forces on boats off Venezuela’s coast since September, resulting in 27 deaths. The Trump administration has defended the operations as acts of national self-defense, though critics have raised concerns about their legality and strategic intent.
Those concerns have reportedly deepened tensions within the Pentagon over the military’s expanding role in supporting covert geopolitical objectives without clear congressional authorization.
Holsey’s resignation came just one day after the White House quietly authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, granting the agency lethal authority as part of an escalating campaign to oust President Nicolás Maduro. The directive expands the CIA’s responsibilities beyond intelligence gathering, allowing it to conduct lethal operations across the Caribbean, including potential strikes inside Venezuelan territory.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, addressing the new CIA directive during a press conference on Wednesday: “They [Venezuela] have emptied their prisons into the United States—thousands and thousands of prisoners, people from mental institutions, insane asylums, all coming through the border because of open-border policies. We’re sending them back, but Venezuela was the worst offender.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, at a press conference in September: "The communications with the government of the U.S. are thrown away by them, with their threats of bombs, death, and blackmail."
Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School and an expert on international law, told Newsweek: "Now it appears he has ordered the CIA to violate international law with covert actions in Venezuela. Lawful law enforcement or military action on the territory of a foreign sovereign state must have the consent of that state.”
What Happens Next
The Department of Defense will nominate a successor to lead SOUTHCOM. This decision is usually made by the secretary of Defense and must be approved by the president.
Update 10/15/25, 5:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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