Alvin Holsey, a US Navy admiral, retired unexpectedly from US Southern Command, transferring leadership to Evan Pettus after just one year in his role.His early departure followed reported disagreements with Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, concerning the legality and aggressiveness of US military strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Latin America.These controversial operations, which have caused at least 87 deaths and intensified pressure on
Nicolas Maduro's Venezuela, are defended by the
Trump administration but face increasing scrutiny from
Congress.