Commander in charge of US military operations in the Caribbean retires after clashes with Hegseth over boat strikes

(CNN) Adm. Alvin Holsey, the commander of US Southern Command who reportedly clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the legality of US military strikes in the Caribbean, officially retired on Friday in a ceremony in Florida where he handed the reins of the command to his deputy.

Holsey thanked his wife, his sons — one of whom is a currently deployed Naval aviator — and others who attended the event.

“I’m reminded that in life, we don’t remember days, we remember moments. Those we lead don’t follow titles, they follow courage, and they remember the moments and how you made them feel,” Holsey said. “They remember those who listen and treated them with dignity and respect.”

Holsey will be replaced by Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, who has been serving as his deputy at Southern Command since Holsey was elevated to the role last year.

Southern Command is responsible for managing US military operations in most of Latin America and the Caribbean Sea.

Holsey’s retirement was announced in October by Hegseth, less than a year into Holsey’s command and just days after the US conducted its fifth attack on an alleged drug trafficking boat off the coast of Venezuela. Hegseth and Holsey had disagreements over US operations in the region, two sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN.

Hegseth felt Holsey was not moving aggressively enough to combat drug traffickers in the Southern Command area of operations, CNN has reported, while Southern Command officials were concerned about the legality of the strikes.

Those issues came to a head in an October 6 meeting at the Pentagon between Holsey, Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. One of the sources familiar with the situation said Holsey offered to leave his post during that meeting, CNN has reported, but the offer was tabled.

The legality of the US strikes against alleged drug boats has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks as lawmakers have demanded answers about a follow-on strike carried out in September that killed two survivors of an initial attack.

Caine, who presided over Friday’s ceremony, called Holsey a “quiet professional” and “an extraordinary human who’s always led with your heart, your head, and gone all-in every single day of your service.”

“You’ve made an incredible difference to our joint force. You made an incredible difference here in this headquarters. You make an incredible difference to this nation…we will always be grateful for the gift of a great example for you and your family’s service and sacrifice, and for the way that you’ve approached the professional wisdom of leadership and service,” Cain said. “The impact that you’ve had will last for a long, long time.”

Holsey’s successor, Pettus, is an Air Force Academy graduate and a pilot of the F-15e and A-10 with more than 2,700 flight hours, according to his official biography. Prior to joining Southern Command, Pettus led the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) stationed out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Air Forces Southern provides “air, space and cyberspace capabilities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean,” Pettus’ bio says.

Pettus has been at Southern Command working as Holsey’s deputy during the alleged drug boat strike campaign that started in September at a time that the US has also been massing personnel and assets in the region and conducting training missions off the coast of Venezuela, even reopening a military base in Puerto Rico that had been closed for decades.

CNN has reported that a significant percentage of all deployed US Naval assets are now in the theater, including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. Those groups amount to roughly 15,000 US troops, multiple guided-missile destroyers, an attack submarine, a special operations ship, and various fighter aircraft.

The relinquishment of Holsey’s command also comes just days after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela; President Donald Trump said only that the vessel was seized for “very good reason,” in comments to reporters Wednesday. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post announcing the seizure that the tanker had been sanctioned by the US for years “due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organisations.”