DORAL, Fla. — U.S. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey ended his tenure atop U.S. Southern Command far earlier than the usual tour Friday, handing the Latin America-focused combatant command to his deputy, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus, Reuters reported. The early exit comes as Southern Command faces mounting questions in Congress over lethal U.S. strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, Dec. 12, 2025.
The change of command at Southern Command headquarters was ceremonially warm but politically tense. The Associated Press reported that Holsey did not give a public reason for leaving early and did not address the boat strikes in his farewell remarks, instead urging partnerships rooted in democratic values and support for the rule of law.
In a Southern Command news release, Holsey framed credibility as the region’s currency: “To be a trusted partner, we must be credible, present and engaged.” The release said Holsey assumed command Nov. 7, 2024, and that Pettus will serve as acting commander while the administration weighs a permanent nominee.
Southern Command leadership change collides with boat-strike backlash
Scrutiny has centered on a Sept. 2 operation that killed 11 people and sparked allegations that U.S. forces struck again after spotting two survivors clinging to wreckage. House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Mike D. Rogers said he wants the commander who oversaw the strike — and the military lawyer who advised on its legality — back for a full committee briefing. “I want the lawyer there, too,” Rogers told The Washington Post.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has publicly backed the campaign and signaled he is not backing down. Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum, he said, “I fully support that strike” and “I would have made the same call myself,” Reuters reported in a Dec. 6 account. The Pentagon has argued the strikes are aimed at choking off maritime drug flows; critics warn the tactic risks crossing legal and moral lines when survivors are potentially out of the fight.
What comes next for Southern Command
For Pettus, the job is dual-track: keep Southern Command’s operational tempo steady while convincing Congress and partner nations that decision-making, legal review and accountability mechanisms are solid. He also inherits an urgent messaging problem — defining where the campaign ends and what “success” looks like beyond sunk vessels.
Holsey’s early departure is unusual for a combatant commander, and it adds pressure to a command already operating under a political microscope. Reuters reported that U.S. officials said Hegseth grew frustrated with Southern Command’s performance and that Holsey was effectively pushed out — an assertion Holsey has denied in private discussions with lawmakers. A source told Reuters the White House is expected to consider U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank Donovan, vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, as a possible successor, though no nomination has been announced.
A familiar mission, a sharper edge
Southern Command’s counternarcotics mandate long predates this moment. A 2016 Southern Command overview of Operation Martillo highlighted a multinational trafficking-disruption effort launched in 2012, and the command’s enhanced counternarcotics operations page traces an expanded push that began April 2020.
But the stakes now are sharper: lethal force, legal uncertainty and political blowback arriving at once. A Congressional Research Service brief has described drug-trafficking suppression as a cornerstone of long-running U.S. security cooperation with partners such as Colombia. Whether Southern Command can keep that cooperative framework intact while navigating the boat-strike controversy may determine how long Pettus stays “acting” — and how quickly this shake-up turns into a deeper overhaul.
