Adm. Alvin Holsey, who took command of U.S. Southern Command in November, will retire in December, he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday. The decision surfaced two days after the U.S. military's fifth deadly strike in the Caribbean on a small boat accused of carrying drugs, part of operations the Trump administration says target "unlawful combatants." On Capitol Hill, Republicans have pressed the White House for legal justifications while Democrats argue the strikes violate U.S. and international law. Holsey lauded SOUTHCOM's service in a Facebook statement; Hegseth praised his decades of service on X.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.