Oct 16, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Admiral overseeing Venezuelan boat strikes steps down

Colin Demarest

U.S. Navy officer in camouflage uniform and sunglasses shaking hands with another soldier outdoors, surrounded by military and civilian personnel. — U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, the Southern Command boss, greets a jungle warfare instructor in Panama. Photo: Jymil Licorish/DVIDS

Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, the head of U.S. Southern Command, is stepping down from the job roughly one year into it.

Why it matters: SOUTHCOM oversees military operations across Central and South America and in the Caribbean Sea.

U.S. warships are massing in the region, and troops have killed more than two-dozen people who the Trump administration has accused of drug smuggling and other illicit activity.

The latest: Holsey, in a statement shared on X, said he was retiring from the Navy in mid-December after decades of service.

"The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation and will continue to do so," he said.
Holsey did not directly address the boat strikes in his message.

The intrigue: Holsey had expressed concerns about military attacks on alleged drug boats, according to the New York Times. Another outlet, Reuters, reported there was tension brewing between the admiral and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

What they're saying: Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) in a statement described the "unexpected resignation" as "troubling."

"At a moment when U.S. forces are building up across 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."

Go deeper: The growing list of military ousters under Trump 2.0

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Admiral overseeing Venezuelan boat strikes steps down

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