Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of the US Southern Command overseeing attacks on what the Trump administration claims are Venezuelan drug vessels, resigned after expressing concern about the attacks, according to a new report.
In recent weeks, Special Operations forces have launched attacks on at least five ships off the Venezuelan coast in the Caribbean Sea that the White House says were transporting drugs. In total 27 people have died in the attacks.
Just this week, Trump announced an attack on a ship that killed six suspected drug traffickers.
“The attack took place in international waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the ship were killed in the attack. No US forces were injured. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!” Trump wrote in Truth Social on Tuesday.
Two days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Holsey’s early retirement from the Navy. Holsey assumed the role of commander just last November after serving as deputy commander.
“On behalf of the War Department, 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,” Hegseth wrote on Thursday.
The timing of Holsey’s retirement is strange, given that it has been less than a year since Holsey assumed his current role.
He New York Times reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official, that Holsey had expressed concerns about alleged attacks on drug ships and Southern Command’s overall counterdrug and counterterrorism mission. Southern Command, which covers Central and South America, currently has about 10,000 troops in the region, according to the NYT.
Holsey said in a statement given to the independent by Southern Command, “Serving as your commander and deputy for the past 34 months has been a tremendous honor.
The SOUTHCOM team has made lasting contributions to our nation’s defense and will continue to do so. “I am confident that he will continue forward, focused on his mission that strengthens our nation and ensures its longevity as a beacon of freedom around the world.”
In recent weeks, Special Operations forces have launched attacks against at least five ships off the Venezuelan coast in the Caribbean Sea (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
Holsey said he will retire Dec. 12.
When Trump announced the first boat attack on September 2, which he said killed 11 people, he warned: “Please let this serve as a warning to anyone even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”
The president has been fighting to keep drugs out of the country while overdose deaths are high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are driving this overdose death crisis. But fentanyl is trafficked to the United States primarily from Mexico, not Venezuela.
The Trump administration said it “determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” according to a memo to Congress obtained by The Independent. As a result, the Pentagon was ordered to “conduct operations against them in accordance with the law of armed conflict.”
When Trump announced the first ship attack on September 2, he warned: “Please let this serve as a warning to anyone even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America” (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Some have expressed concern about the legality of the attacks, as the White House has not provided any evidence that the ships attacked were carrying drugs.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino insisted last week that the US government knows the ships are not being used for drug trafficking.
The Senate even attempted to pass a war powers resolution last week that would have prevented the Trump administration from carrying out the strikes unless Congress authorized them. It failed 51-48, with two Republican lawmakers voting and nearly all Democrats in favor.