Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of U.S. Southern Command, has retired after expressing concerns over the legality of ongoing military strikes on suspected drug vessels off Venezuela. The Pentagon continues these operations, including a recent drone strike on a submarine that killed two and captured two survivors. Critics question the actions' compliance with U.S. and international law.
Admiral Alvin Holsey, who oversaw U.S. Southern Command for just one year, announced his retirement on October 18, 2025, after 37 years in the military. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised Holsey's "unwavering commitment to mission, people and nation" in a social media post. The departure is unusual, as commanders typically serve three years, especially amid a military buildup with thousands of U.S. troops positioned off Venezuela's coast.
Holsey, who is Black, met with Hegseth at the Pentagon to voice concerns about the operations' legality before stepping down, according to a U.S. official speaking anonymously to NPR. Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery suggested the exit stems from disagreement over the strikes, stating, "We're conducting extremely unusual operations in Southern Command right now that a reasonable person could disagree with the legality of." He added that law enforcement, not the military, should handle such actions with due process.
The operations involve at least six lethal U.S. strikes on small civilian vessels in international waters near Venezuela since last month. The White House claims the boats carry drugs, but critics argue the attacks constitute execution without trial, violating U.S. and international law. On October 17, a drone strike targeted a drug-carrying submersible, killing two suspected narco-terrorists and capturing two survivors from Ecuador and Colombia, as confirmed by President Trump in a Truth Social post and video release on October 18.
Trump described the vessel as loaded with fentanyl on a known trafficking route, claiming it prevented up to 25,000 U.S. overdose deaths. He stated, "It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE," and insisted, "not a group of innocent people." The survivors are being returned to their home countries for prosecution, per Trump, though NPR reports they are headed for possible U.S. legal proceedings. This marks the sixth such interdiction, with earlier actions including a strike killing six on October 14.