The Pentagon is reeling from a stunning resignation that has exposed deep rifts in the Trump administration’s aggressive counter-narcotics campaign: Adm. Alvin Holsey, the four-star Navy commander overseeing U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), abruptly stepped down on December 12, 2025, after reportedly refusing to execute what he deemed “unlawful orders” from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for lethal strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. The move, confirmed by multiple sources including The Wall Street Journal and CNN, comes amid escalating controversy over the operations, which have killed over 80 people since September, including a September 2 “double-tap” strike that targeted survivors clinging to wreckage. Holsey’s departure—announced by Hegseth on October 16 as a “retirement” but now revealed as a forced exit—has lawmakers from both parties vowing probes, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) directing inquiries to the Pentagon. “This is an extraordinary move during an active operation,” Wicker said, signaling Congress’s unexpected intervention.
Holsey, 60, a decorated Navy helicopter pilot with 37 years of service, took command of SOUTHCOM in November 2024, just as the Trump administration ramped up “kinetic” actions against Venezuelan drug vessels under Hegseth’s directive. The strikes, bypassing traditional interdiction for drone and missile attacks, aimed to “dismantle cartels,” but Holsey raised alarms over their “murky” legality, sources told CNN. In an October 6 Pentagon meeting with Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Holsey objected to a proposed escalation that included “no survivors” protocols, reportedly saying, “I will not carry out an unlawful order.” Minutes later, he offered his resignation, which Hegseth accepted—effective December 12, two years early.
Hegseth, a Fox News alum and Iraq veteran confirmed in January 2025 amid sexual misconduct allegations, has faced bipartisan heat over the campaign’s ethics. The September 2 incident—where a second missile struck survivors of an initial hit, killing 11—drew war crime accusations from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a former JAG officer. Hegseth dismissed reports as “fake news” on X, insisting strikes are “lawful” and “vital to national security.” But Holsey’s exit, described as a “de facto ouster” by Pentagon insiders, contradicts that narrative. “Admiral Holsey exemplified the highest standards,” Hegseth posted on October 16, but sources say tensions simmered for months over Holsey’s “slow pace” and reluctance to fully endorse the operations.
Congress is moving swiftly. Wicker and Reed’s joint letter demands full video of the strikes, written directives, and testimony from Hegseth by January 15, 2026. “We’re not just reviewing one resignation—we’re examining if unlawful orders were issued,” Reed said. Democrats like Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called it “a purge of principled officers,” while Republicans like Sen. Tom Tillis (R-N.C.) questioned the timing: “Firing a commander mid-mission? That’s chaos.” The probe could expand to the entire chain of command, including Adm. Frank Bradley, who greenlit the September strike.
Holsey, from Fort Valley, Georgia, commanded Carrier Strike Group One and Joint Chiefs operations before SOUTHCOM. His testimony in September 2024 supported “dismantling cartels,” but not at any cost. “He refused to compromise the law of war,” a source said. Hegseth’s pattern—ousting officers like Gen. Mark Milley in 2024—raises alarms about politicizing the military.
As SOUTHCOM scrambles for a replacement, the Caribbean strikes continue, with 20+ operations claiming 80 lives. Holsey’s stand isn’t just a resignation—it’s a line in the sand. Congress’s move? The reckoning begins.
