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US Southern Command chief Admiral Alvin Holsey is monitoring the attack on trump Administration claims Venezuelan drug boatsAccording to a new report, he has stepped down after expressing concern over the attacks.
Over the past few weeks, special operations forces have attacked at least five boats in the Caribbean Sea off the Venezuelan coast that the White House claims were carrying drugs. A total of 27 people have been killed in the attacks.
This week, Trump announced a boat strike that killed six suspected drug smugglers.
“The attack was carried out in international waters, and six men on board the ship were killed in a narco-terrorist attack. No US forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.
Two days later, the 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 express our deep gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our country as he plans to retire at the end of the year,” Hegseth wrote X on Thursday.
The timing of Holsey’s retirement is odd, considering it has been less than a year since Holsey took up his current position.
new York Times The report, citing an unnamed US official, said Holsey had expressed concerns about alleged drug boat attacks and Southern Command’s overall counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism mission. Southern Command, which covers Central and South America, currently has about 10,000 troops in the region. Now,
Holsey said in a statement Independent By Southern Command, “It has been a tremendous honor to serve as your Commander and Deputy for the last 34 months.
The SOUTHCOM team has made a lasting contribution to our nation’s defense and will continue to do so. I am confident that you will move forward focused on your mission, which will strengthen our nation and ensure its longevity as a symbol of freedom throughout the world.
Holsey said he will retire on Dec. 12.
When Trump announced First boat strike on 2 SeptemberNoting that 11 people were killed, he warned, “Please let this serve as a notice to anyone thinking about bringing drugs into the United States.”
The President is struggling to keep drugs out of the country as overdose deaths are increasing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are exacerbating this overdose death crisis. But fentanyl is mostly smuggled from the US MexicoNo Venezuela,
The Trump administration said it had “determined that the United States is in a non-international armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations.” memorandum to congress which was received Independent. As a result, the Pentagon was ordered to “take action against them in accordance with the law of armed conflict.”
Some have raised concerns about the legality of the attacks because the White House has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were carrying drugs.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino insisted last week that the US government knows the boats are not being used for drug trafficking.
The Senate also attempted to pass a war powers resolution last week that would have prevented the Trump administration from carrying out strikes unless Congress authorized them. It failed 51-48, with two GOP lawmakers voting in favor and almost all Democrats voting in favor.