Free Republic

The commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of operations includes the Caribbean waters where the strikes against the alleged drug boats have been conducted, retired Friday as scrutiny surrounding the attacks mounts. Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who became the head of Southern Command in November 2024, announced suddenly in October that he would retire from the military as operations heated up in the region that the administration claims is part of President Donald Trump’s crusade against the influx of drugs into the U.S. The Trump administration designated drug cartel groups like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa and others as...

The US is up to something in Venezuela. But what exactly? Since early September, the US military has carried out at least five lethal strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean, alleged by the Trump administration to be piloted by members of Venezuelan drug cartels that the US government has designated as terrorist organizations. Twenty-seven people have been reported killed in these strikes. President Donald Trump has informed Congress that he has determined the US is now in a state of armed conflict with these cartels. The strikes come in the context of a large-scale buildup of US forces in...

The head of the U.S. military's Southern Command will retire later this year, a high-profile departure that comes as the Trump administration strikes alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean and puts pressure on the Venezuelan government. Adm. Alvin Holsey announced his retirement from the U.S. Navy in a statement posted to social media on Thursday. He said he is retiring after 37 years in the Navy in mid-December — just over a year after he was first promoted to lead Southern Command, or SOUTHCOM. "I am confident that you will forge ahead, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation...