Head of U.S. Military's Southern Command Steps Down

[applegrove]

Head of U.S. Military’s Southern Command Steps Down

October 16, 2025 at 4:10 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 39 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2025/10/16/head-of-u-s-militarys-southern-command-steps-down/

“The military commander overseeing the Pentagon’s escalating attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration says are smuggling drugs is stepping down,” the New York Times reports.

“The officer, Adm. Alvin Holsey, is leaving his job as head of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees all operations in Central and South America, even as the Pentagon has rapidly built up some 10,000 forces in the region in what it says is a major counterdrug and counterterrorism mission.”

“It was unclear why Admiral Holsey is leaving now, less than a year into his tenure, and in the midst of the biggest operation in his 37-year career.”

[Volaris]

1. Its was unclear why...Holsey is leaving...

The NYT must think EVERYONE is as dumb as the average MAGAt.

Unclear my ass. He doesn't want to get charged with murder.

[maxsolomon]

3. It's Journalism 101.

If the NYT can't establish the reason, then they don't speculate.

You can speculate all you want.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. Context isn't speculation.

The New York Times has carried water for trump since the beginning. Seems it would make sense to add details, history and background in order to help readers fit this news into Trump's entire flood-the-zone treason.

[erronis]

20. Exactly. But that would require the NYT to do some real reporting rather than parroting.

[maxsolomon]

63. Teagan Goddard did.

Read the full article, not Political Wire's 3-paragraph snip.

[erronis]

64. Thanks - mea culpa for not going to the source!

[uponit7771]

16. They can give more perspective surrounding the leaders actions though

[maxsolomon]

62. Here's some additional reporting from the actual NYT article:

But other officials at the Pentagon and on Capitol Hll said the praise masked real policy tensions concerning Venezuela that the admiral and his civilian boss were seeking to paper over.

"Prior to Trump, I can't think of a combatant commander who left his or her post early, ever," said Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.

It goes on and on with much more "perspective surrounding the leaders actions". Slamming Teagan Goddard for this reporting is ridiculous - what the OP shared was a 3-paragraph snip from a news aggregator.

[soldierant]

33. Sure. But there are different ways to handle that.

They could hve said something like "He did not make any public statement on his reasons."

Or jst "His reason were not stated."

[soldierant]

30. He doesn't want

to be responsible for muder ... let alone get charged.

[ananda]

31. Seriously! It really is pretty fucking obvious.

He also took an oath to the Constitution, not to the
so-called "president."

[Irish_Dem]

35. He didn't want to be charged with murder.

Seems obvious doesn't it.

[TomSlick]

55. If that's the reason, it's a tad late.

[Bread and Circuses]

2. The Felon is going to drop bombs in Venezuela soon...

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

15. MAGA children and grandchildren will be Trump's cannon fodder!

It's what they voted for!

[Racygrandma]

48. Exactly

Canon fodder, little do they know

[CanonRay]

28. Exactly

This guy would probably like to travel to Europe in retirement, not face judges in The Hague.

[Irish_Dem]

38. Yes the admiral got a glimpse of the long range plans.

He is done with the military.
He doesn't want to be in a position of disobeying a direct order.

[Captain Zero]

4. Trump is playing around in

War Criminal territory.

[Biophilic]

5. He obviously has a sense of right and wrong.

[COL Mustard]

23. He is a military professional and is clearly demonstrating his integrity.

This whole Venezuela gambit will not end well. He is leaving before he violates his conscience.

Military officers cannot refuse to carry out lawful orders and there is a high bar for proving that an order is illegal. If one can't in good conscience carry out orders, the only legal option is to leave.

[Irish_Dem]

39. Yes. Perhaps the admiral doesn't agree with the morals of the Trump Crime Syndicate.

[TheRickles]

54. It would be great if he spoke out publicly about his reasons. Maybe after he has resigned.

[Hekate]

7. I speculate that Adm. Holsey will go on Nicolle Wallace's or Rachel Maddow's show presently

There is much he cannot say at present, but will be at liberty to say soon.

[COL Mustard]

26. I doubt it.

He may, later, but not for a while.

[Hekate]

56. "Presently" is indefinite. "After he retires" is covered.

[Irish_Dem]

41. Trump has threatened to take rank and pensions from those who are disloyal.

He said that to their faces at the meeting with top brass.

[Hekate]

57. That's why some are retiring now and returning to civilian life.

[Irish_Dem]

59. Yes better to retire now and keep their pensions and rank than risk losing it.

Even if they had a shot at a higher rank before.

Not worth the risk.

[Hekate]

60. They worked for it -- they earned it. To be robbed of their rank, achievements, & earned level of retirement...

…as Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was, would be a travesty.

[wolfie001]

44. Ordering your units to kill civilians while we're not at war is a crime

Not that the 6 pieces of shit on the SC care though.

[Hekate]

58. Where does the SCOTUS fall in the application of the UCMJ?

[wolfie001]

66. The 6 SC pigs have made it impossible to hold the fat orange imbecile to account

He ordered the military to kill those civilians. They would also protect him from having to appear before The Hague. That's my read on this.

[underpants]

8. Yeah that's a real head scratcher 🤔

2025

Adm. Holsey, this courts finds that three years ago you knowingly and fully executed orders clearly in violation of…..

[Blues Heron]

9. He had enough. Trump has immunity, the others, not so much.

[GopherGal]

10. I'm not a lawyer, but...

I suspect even Donvict's immunity doesn't extend to International War Crimes. Holsey, however, probably has fewer opportunities to purchase asylum for himself to hide from the Hague (or other tribunals)

[wolfie001]

45. tRUMP and the other killer clown Nut-&-Yahoo

[superpatriotman]

11. Which Fox talking head will get this coveted position?

Taking bets.

[Norbert]

12. Holsey is also far from 'white' enough

for bone spurs and the drunk.

[JoseBalow]

21. I was was waiting for someone to mention that

[scarletlib]

34. Very handsome man.

[SunSeeker]

53. Fuck. I should have known. They pushed him out as too "DEI."

And/or too ethical.

[Klarkashton]

13. Some bad shit about to go down?

[bluestarone]

14. When military leaders step down, we ALL know that something big and ugly is about to happen.

I worry about America surviving!

[58Sunliner]

24. Firings and resignations prior to J6 come to mind.

[irisblue]

17. From the Angry Staffer,whom some of us follow

Link to tweet

[wolfie001]

46. There was the Colombian lady who said her husband went out fishing and the US Navy killed him

Murderers. Here in the states too. Thugs and murderers.

[COL Mustard]

18. Reminds me of a Paul McCartney song....

Admiral Holsey notified me, he had to have a bath or he couldn't get to sleep....

Damn, now I have that ear worm.

[Ilsa]

22. Google sez "berth," not bath. Did autofill type in "bath"?

Inquiring minds need to know if the Goog is correct. I remember the song, but I always had a tough time with lyrics. I didn't own a record player or albums, just a radio.

[COL Mustard]

27. That's how I always heard it!

Damn my bad ears anyway! Now I need a cup of tea.

[Ilsa]

29. I have some sort of dain bramage that

keeps me from hearing lyrics correctly. It makes it really hard to learn songs without a songbook.

Same general problem affects my recognition of alot of actor's faces unless I see them every day.

[COL Mustard]

36. I listened to it and you are correct!

And that line about the butter pie? I always heard that as "potta pie". Never have I smelt so horrible a pie. Now 50 some years later I find out it's "butter pie" and "The butter wouldn't melt so I put it in a pie". I blame low wattage AM radio!

[Ilsa]

40. Ha ha! I knew it was butter pie! I really

never understood what the song was about, though, other than the generational take. I always found some of Cheap Trick's lyrics to be more expressive, not much nuance.

[BidenRocks]

19. I heard we had a number of B-52's flying over Venezuela

Our taxpayer funded military is for DEFENSE!

Chump has turned us into the Third Reich invading at will with nobody saying Hell No!

I hold our Navy GUILTY of murder on the high seas.

We have no jurisdiction and it is not the will of the people!

I would retire and disappear!

[COL Mustard]

37. What's the Spanish word....

For "Anschluss"? I'm sure once we annex Venezuela we'll need that phrase.

[BidenRocks]

47. This is the suggested word.

Anexión

Annexation

[Takket]

25. BTW you can still be convicted of murder even if the president told you to kill someone

So, best of luck to you with the next AG, Admiral.

[SunSeeker]

65. Yep. Murder can be charged as a state crime, impervious to presidential pardon. nt

[Gore1FL]

32. Uncle Albert/Admiral Holsey

Admiral Holsey notified me
He wouldn't kill more people extra-judiciously.
I had another look and I had a cup of tea
And a butter pie (a butter pie?)
(The butter wouldn't melt, so I put it in the pie, alright?)
Hands across the water (water)
Heads across the sky
Hands across the water (water)
Heads across the sky

[BidenRocks]

50. Thanks!

I've been wrong for 50 years!

[wolfie001]

42. His biggest operation is killing civilian boaters with zero regard on whether they're actually guilty of anything

tRUMP the butcher.

[BidenRocks]

52. We know!

[Yonnie3]

51. Related? Reuters reporter on X is saying survivors from the latest attack on a boat

Last edited Thu Oct 16, 2025, 08:24 PM - Edit history (1)

I'll be waiting to see if Reuters reports on this, but as of yet there is no confirmation.

Here is the story https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143548786

Link to tweet

Phil Stewart
@phildstewart
SCOOP! - There's another U.S. military strike in the Caribbean, and this time there are survivors. Strike happened today. Getting details. w/@idreesali114
6:40 PM · Oct 16, 2025
·

[TheRickles]

61. This Marine colonel has resigned, and is speaking out.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/16/marine-resigns-trump-hegseth|