Admiral Alvin Holsey, the commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), is set to retire at the end of 2025, marking a sudden and high-profile departure at a moment of heightened military activity in the Caribbean and escalating tensions with Venezuela. The announcement, made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on October 16, 2025, via social media, caught many in Washington and at the Pentagon by surprise. No official explanation was provided for Holsey’s decision to step down after just under a year at the helm of SOUTHCOM, a combatant command crucial to U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“On behalf of the Department of War, 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,” Hegseth said in a statement posted on X, referencing Holsey’s long career that began with his commissioning through the NROTC program at Morehouse College in 1988. Hegseth praised Holsey for exemplifying “the highest standards of naval leadership” and for a “legacy of operational excellence and strategic vision.”
Holsey, 60, assumed command of SOUTHCOM in November 2024 after being nominated by President Joe Biden. In his own statement, posted shortly after Hegseth’s announcement, Holsey reflected on his service: “It’s been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend the Constitution for over 37 years. Effective, 12 December 2025 I will retire from the U.S. Navy. Serving as your commander and deputy for the past 34 months has been a tremendous honor. The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to the defense of our nation and will continue to do so. 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. Stephanie and I extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to have served alongside our nation’s finest warfighters. Keep Charging!!”
Holsey’s retirement comes at a time when SOUTHCOM has played a pivotal role in the Trump administration’s expanded military operations in the Caribbean, particularly targeting alleged narco-traffickers linked to Venezuela. According to DefenseScoop and Military Times, since September 2025, U.S. forces have conducted at least five missile strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats off the Venezuelan coast, resulting in the deaths of more than two dozen alleged narcoterrorists. The Pentagon has deployed roughly 10,000 troops to Puerto Rico and aboard Navy ships, supported by eight warships, a nuclear-powered submarine, and F-35 fighter jets. B-52 bombers were also spotted flying near the Venezuelan coast in a show of force on October 15, 2025.
President Trump, in remarks to reporters on October 15, signaled that the administration was considering expanding the military campaign to target drug cartels on land, stating, “We are certainly looking at land now because we’ve got the sea under control. A lot of Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that, but we’re going to stop them by land also.” Trump also confirmed that he had authorized covert CIA operations inside Venezuela, further intensifying the U.S. posture in the region.
The strikes and military buildup have not gone unnoticed by the Venezuelan government. President Nicolás Maduro has vehemently denied U.S. allegations that his regime is working with drug cartels and has condemned the attacks, accusing the Trump administration of seeking regime change. Tensions have escalated with incidents such as Venezuelan aircraft flying near U.S. naval vessels, which Pentagon officials described to CBS News as a “game of chicken.”
Within the Pentagon, the rapid pace and scope of the operations have sparked debate. The New York Times reported that Holsey had raised concerns about the strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela prior to the retirement announcement, though Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell strongly denied this, writing on X, “This is a total lie. Never happened. There was no hesitation or concerns about this mission.” Regardless, the timing of Holsey’s departure has fueled speculation about internal disagreements and the broader shake-up of military leadership under Secretary Hegseth.
Since taking office, Hegseth has removed several high-ranking military officers, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, U.S. Cyber Command commander Gen. Timothy Haugh, and others. At a gathering of hundreds of generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico last month, Hegseth was blunt: “I have fired a number of senior officers since taking over — the previous chairman, other members of the Joint Chiefs, combatant commanders and other commanders. It’s nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people who helped create or even benefited from that culture.” He added, “More leadership changes will be made — of that, I’m certain. Not because we want to, but because we must. Once again, this is life and death. The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies. Personnel is policy.”
Holsey’s departure is the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the Pentagon’s senior ranks in 2025. The reshuffling has drawn both praise and concern from across the political spectrum. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement describing Holsey’s resignation as “troubling.” Reed emphasized, “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. Any operation to intervene militarily in Venezuela – especially without congressional authorization – would be unwise and dangerous. Admiral Holsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-earned lessons of previous U.S. military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters.”
Others have focused on Holsey’s legacy. Hegseth, in his public remarks, highlighted Holsey’s leadership from commanding helicopter squadrons to leading Carrier Strike Group One and standing up the International Maritime Security Construct. According to his Navy biography, Holsey deployed at sea on several ships, served as director of Task Force One Navy, and held key personnel command roles before his elevation to SOUTHCOM. His supporters note the stability and professionalism he brought to the command during a period of intense geopolitical flux.
As the U.S. continues its military buildup in the Caribbean and debates the next phase of its campaign against alleged Venezuelan drug cartels, Holsey’s retirement leaves an open question about the future direction of SOUTHCOM and the Pentagon’s leadership. With no official reason given for his departure and the region on a knife’s edge, the eyes of Washington—and much of Latin America—are fixed on who will step in next and how the U.S. military’s mission will evolve in the months ahead.