Doral, Florida — The admiral in charge of U.S. military operations in South America relinquished command Friday as the United States continues to concentrate ships and other forces near Venezuela and carries out strikes on suspected drug vessels.
“We have worked hard and tirelessly to build relationships and understand requirements across the region,” Adm. Alvin Holsey said at a relinquishment ceremony at U.S. Southern Command headquarters, urging continued whole-of-government cooperation to meet shared threats.
A 37-year Navy veteran, Holsey stepped down after announcing in October that he would retire early — one year into what is normally a three-year combatant command tour. He gave no public reason at the time; CBS News has reported there were tensions between Holsey and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over deployment decisions in the Caribbean.
At the ceremony, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine presented Holsey with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, bearing a citation signed by Secretary Hegseth. Caine thanked Holsey and his family for their service. Holsey transferred command responsibilities to Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Lamar Pettus, who will serve as acting commander until a permanent nominee is chosen by the Pentagon and confirmed by the Senate.
Under U.S. Southern Command, the operation known as “Operation Southern Spear” has been credited by U.S. officials with destroying 23 alleged drug-smuggling vessels in strikes that the U.S. says resulted in 87 deaths. The campaign has drawn scrutiny from Congress, particularly after a contentious “double tap” strike on Sept. 2 that killed two people who had survived an initial strike. Admiral Mitch Bradley of U.S. Special Operations Command, who ordered the follow-up strike, has briefed small groups of lawmakers and met with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who after viewing strike footage called the operation “entirely appropriate.”
Holsey provided a virtual briefing earlier this week to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee before officially handing over command. Ranking Member Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island told CBS News Holsey described his retirement as a personal decision, and Reed said lawmakers continue to have many unanswered questions about the operations.
Concern on Capitol Hill extends beyond specific strikes to the widening U.S. military footprint in the Caribbean. The Pentagon now has roughly 15,000 personnel operating in the region — aboard warships including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and at facilities in Puerto Rico — the largest U.S. presence there in decades. The buildup has coincided with the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This week, with military support, the U.S. Coast Guard seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, and President Trump has suggested that strikes inside Venezuela could be possible.
Holsey assumed command of U.S. Southern Command in November 2024. SOUTHCOM noted that under his leadership the command expanded from about 3,500 personnel to nearly 15,000 in direct support of regional operations. In the last fiscal year, which ended in September, the command reported disrupting or seizing more than one million pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value surpassing $11.34 billion; that release did not specifically reference Operation Southern Spear.
Holsey is among more than a dozen senior military officers who have either been relieved by Secretary Hegseth or opted for early retirement since the start of the Trump administration.
Alan He contributed to this report.