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It’s unclear why Admiral Holsey is leaving suddenly, less than a year into a job that typically lasts three years and in the midst of the biggest operation of his 37-year career. But a current and former U.S. official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said Admiral Holsey had raised concerns about the mission and attacks on the so-called drug boats.

In a statement on social media, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made no mention of friction with his four-star commander. “On behalf of the War Department,” Mr. Hegseth said, using the department name he now favors, “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 the end of the year. »

Admiral Holsey also did not publicly express any political objections, urging his command’s 1,200 military and civilian personnel in a statement: “Keep charging!! »

But other Pentagon and Capitol officials said the praise masked real political tensions over Venezuela that the admiral and his civilian leader sought to conceal.

“Before Trump, I can’t think of a combatant commander who would have left office sooner,” said Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was even more pointed in his criticism.

“At a time when U.S. forces are building up in the Caribbean and tensions with Venezuela are at a boiling point, the departure of our top military commander in the region sends an alarming signal of instability within the chain of command,” Reed said in a statement.

Since early September, U.S. special operations forces have struck at least five boats off the Venezuelan coast that the White House says were carrying drugs, killing 27 people. U.S. officials have made it clear privately that the primary goal is to remove Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, from power.

But many experts on the laws governing the use of force have disputed the Trump administration’s assertion that it can legally kill drug suspects like enemy troops instead of arresting and prosecuting them. Under domestic law, Congress has not authorized any armed conflict.

Under international law, for a non-state group to be considered a belligerent in an armed conflict – meaning its members can be targeted for killing based on their status alone, not because of their specific actions – it must be an “organized armed group” with a centralized command structure and engaged in hostilities.

Admiral Holsey, who is black, becomes the latest in a line of more than a dozen military leaders, many of them people of color and women, who have left their jobs this year. Most were fired by Mr. Hegseth or expelled.

Mr. Hegseth fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who is black; the first woman to command the Navy, Admiral Lisa Franchetti; and the U.S. Army Representative to the NATO Military Committee, Vice Admiral Shoshana Chatfield. He also expelled Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Others don’t fit the mold of what Mr. Hegseth considers a leader within his Pentagon. In August, the Air Force’s top uniformed officer, Gen. David Allvin, announced he would retire early, two years into a four-year term.

About two weeks ago, Mr. Hegseth summoned hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world to a meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Northern Virginia. It was an unprecedented gathering in recent history. The secretary told senior officers he was tightening standards on fitness and grooming, cracking down even more rigorously on “woke trash” and rejecting the notion of “toxic” leadership.

It was unclear Thursday who would replace Admiral Holsey, who visited the island nations of Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada this week.

News of the admiral’s departure comes a day after The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had secretly authorized the CIA to carry out covert actions in Venezuela.

President Trump acknowledged Wednesday that he had authorized the covert action and said the United States was considering strikes on Venezuelan territory.

All these developments come as the US military plots its own possible escalation, drawing up options for Mr Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela.

Although Admiral Holsey was the highest-ranking military officer overseeing the military strikes, the decision to carry them out was driven by the White House, and the strikes themselves were carried out by special operations forces, with Admiral Holsey largely excluded from the decision-making process.

“Any operation to intervene militarily in Venezuela – especially without Congressional authorization – would be reckless and dangerous,” Mr. Reed said. “Admiral Holsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-won lessons of previous U.S. military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters.”

The Trump administration has justified its attacks on drug suspects as national self-defense at a time when overdose deaths are high in the United States. But the increase in overdoses is due to fentanyl, which comes from Mexico and not South America.

The scale and scope of the US military buildup in the Caribbean region is considerable. There are now about 10,000 U.S. troops, most at bases in Puerto Rico, but also some 2,200 Marines on amphibious assault ships. In total, the Navy has eight warships and one submarine in the Caribbean.

Admiral Holsey’s abrupt end as head of one of the military’s coveted regional war commands comes after a Navy career that began with his appointment to the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or NROTC, at Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1988.

The admiral, a native of Fort Valley, Ga., rose through the ranks from commanding helicopter squadrons to leading one of the Navy’s prestigious aircraft carrier strike groups. He initially served as military deputy to Southern Command before taking command in November 2024.

In a message posted to Southern Command’s X account, Admiral Holsey did not explain why he was resigning.

“Team SOUTHCOM has made a lasting contribution to the nation’s defense and will continue to do so,” he said. “I am confident that you will move forward, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the world. »