Buckle up, folks—Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, head of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), has just walked away from his post in a move that’s raising eyebrows across the political spectrum.
According to Fox News, Holsey’s abrupt retirement on Dec. 13, 2024, comes less than a year after taking the helm in November 2024, following intense scrutiny over U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in Caribbean waters as part of President Donald Trump’s aggressive anti-drug campaign.
Let’s rewind a bit—Holsey announced his exit back in October 2024, barely giving time to unpack his bags at SOUTHCOM headquarters.
No reason was offered for his departure, either then or at his official retirement, which is odd for a tenure shorter than a Netflix series season.
Compare that to his predecessor, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, who led SOUTHCOM from 2021 to 2024, and you’ve got a stark contrast that’s hard to ignore.
Rumors swirl that Holsey clashed with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the tempo of these naval operations, with reports suggesting Hegseth pushed for a harder line while Holsey raised concerns about the approach, per The New York Times.
Under Holsey’s watch, naval presence ramped up with heavy hitters like the USS Gerald R. Ford deployed to the region, signaling a no-nonsense stance against drug trafficking.
The Trump administration, doubling down on its mission, has conducted over 20 strikes in Latin American waters since September 2024, targeting alleged smugglers, and even seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast just days before Holsey’s exit on Dec. 11, 2024.
President Trump himself isn’t shy about the endgame, declaring, “We’re knocking out drug boats right now at a level that we haven’t seen,” and hinting at land-based operations soon.
While the administration insists it has full authority for these actions, not everyone’s on board—lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are questioning the legality of strikes, especially after a September 2024 incident involving survivors drew fresh attention.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), alongside Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), fired back with a war powers resolution on Dec. 3, 2024, aiming to block military actions against Venezuela. Let’s be real—while curbing drug flow into the U.S. is a noble goal, the collateral damage and legal gray areas here are giving even some conservative hawks pause.
Stepping into Holsey’s shoes on Dec. 13, 2024, is Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, previously the military deputy commander at SOUTHCOM, bringing a resume stacked with over 2,700 pilot hours and combat experience in operations like Iraqi Freedom.
Meanwhile, Hegseth tipped his hat to Holsey, stating, “The Department thanks Admiral Holsey for his decades of service to our country,” though one wonders if that’s just a diplomatic gloss over a messy split.
As Pettus takes the reins, the debate over these Caribbean operations isn’t going away—Trump’s crusade against cartels, now labeled terrorist groups like Tren de Aragua and Sinaloa as of February 2025, shows no signs of slowing, even if it means navigating a political minefield.