Amid escalating tensions with Venezuela and US military strikes on suspected drug smugglers in the Caribbean, the US admiral who commands military forces in Latin America will step down at the end of this year, the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, announced on social media.
Adm Alvin Holsey’s abrupt departure comes less than a year after he took over as head of the US military’s southern command, which oversees operations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The posting typically lasts three years.
A source told Reuters that there had been tension between the four-star commander and Hegseth as well as questions about whether he would be fired in the days leading up to the announcement.
The New York Times reports that an unnamed US official said that Holsey “had raised concerns about the mission and the attacks on the alleged drug boats”.
In a statement shared on social media, Hegseth did not disclose the reason for Holsey’s plan “to retire at year’s end”.
“On behalf of the Department of War,” Hegseth said, referring to his rebrand of the department’s name, “we extend our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at year’s end.”
The post also noted that Holsey began his career “through the NROTC program at Morehouse College in 1988”. Morehouse is a private, historically Black college in Atlanta.
In a statement shared by the US southern command’s X account, Holsey said he planned to retire from the navy on 12 December after a career spanning nearly four decades. To the 1,200 military and civilian personnel under his command, Holsey said: “I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the globe.”
“Keep charging!!” he added.
The Rhode Island senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate armed services committee, said Holsey’s “unexpected” departure “sends an alarming signal of instability within the chain of command”.
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“Any operation to intervene militarily in Venezuela – especially without congressional authorization – would be unwise and dangerous,” Reed said in a statement on Thursday. “Admiral Holsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of previous US military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters.”
In February, Donald Trump abruptly fired the air force general CQ Brown Jr as chair of the joint chiefs of staff, sidelining a history-making Black fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign to purge the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
In 2021, Holsey recorded a public service announcement urging Black Americans to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
