US admiral to retire amid military strikes in Caribbean and tensions with Venezuela | US military

The U.S. admiral who commands military forces in Latin America amid rising tensions with Venezuela and U.S. military strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean will resign at the end of this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. announced on social media.

Admiral, Alvin HolseyHe took over the U.S. military’s southern command late last year for an assignment that would normally last three years.

A source told Reuters there was tension between him and Hegseth and there were questions about whether he would be fired in the days before the announcement.

New York Times reports An unnamed US official said Holsey “expressed concerns about the mission and the alleged attacks on drug vessels.”

Hegseth did not explain the reason for Holsey’s plan to “retire at the end of the year” in his social media post.

The post noted that Holsey began his career “through the NROTC program at Morehouse College in 1988.” Morehouse is a private, historically black college located in Atlanta.

In February, Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force General CQ Brown Jr. as chief of staff, sidelining a history-making Black fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign. Purging the military of leaders who support diversity and equality in the ranks.

Holsey noted in 2021: public service announcement He urges Black Americans to get the Covid-19 vaccine.