Top Military Commander Steps Down

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday announced that the top military official overseeing military strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug runners will retire at the end of the year — a surprising move given that the four-star admiral took command less than a year ago.

Adm. Alvin Holsey’s abrupt departure as head of U.S. Southern Command — which oversees U.S. military operations in Latin America — comes as President Donald Trump has conducted lethal strikes against alleged Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea. U.S. forces have destroyed at least five boats since early September, killing more than two dozen people, and Trump this week floated the idea of conducting land strikes against Venezuelan cartels, though he offered no details.

Hegseth, who announced the retirement in a post on X, did not give a reason for Holsey’s departure or immediately name his successor. He thanked Holsey, hailed him as having “exemplified the highest standards” and said he “demonstrated unwavering commitment to mission, people, and nation.”

Meanwhile, the repeated strikes in the Caribbean have heightened tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, where Nicolas Maduro’s government has responded by ordering military exercises, mobilizing civilian militias and denouncing U.S. actions as aggression.

Trump on Wednesday said the administration was “looking at land” as it considers further strikes in the region. He also confirmed that he authorized covert operations by the CIA in Venezuela.