Paraguay President Santiago Peña awards the Order of Merit “Gral Div Bernardino Caballero” at the rank of “Gran Cross” to Navy Admiral Alvin Holsey, Commander of the United States Southern Command, at the Government Palace in Asuncion, Paraguay, August 23, 2025.
Jorge Sáenz/AP
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Jorge Sáenz/AP
WASHINGTON — The Navy admiral who oversees military operations in the region where U.S. forces attacked suspected drug boats off the coast of Venezuela will retire in December, he and the defense secretary announced Thursday.
Admiral Alvin Holsey only became head of U.S. Southern Command in November, overseeing an area that encompasses the Caribbean Sea and waters off South America. These types of assignments typically last between three and four years.
News of Holsey’s upcoming retirement comes two days after the U.S. military’s fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean against a small boat accused of carrying drugs. The Trump administration has said it treats suspected drug traffickers as illegal combatants who must be fought with military force.
Frustration over the attacks grew at the Capitol. Some Republicans have demanded more information from the White House about the legal justification and details of the strikes, while Democrats argue that the strikes violate U.S. and international law.
Holsey said in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page that it “has been an honor to serve our nation, the American people, and support and defend our Constitution for over 37 years.”
“Team SOUTHCOM has made a lasting contribution to the defense of our nation 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.”
U.S. Southern Command provided no further information beyond the admiral’s statement.
In a post Thursday afternoon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Holsey for his “decades of service to our country, and we wish him and his family continued success and fulfillment in the years to come.”
“Admiral Holsey has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the mission, the people and the nation,” Hegseth wrote.
Pentagon officials provided no further information and referred The Associated Press to Hegseth’s social media statement.
The New York Times first reported on Holsey’s plan to leave his post.
