(MENAFN- Live Mint) US Navy Admiral Admiral Alvin Holsey, the military commander overseeing the Pentagon's intensifying operations against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea, announced on Thursday that he would be stepping down.

Holsey, who leads US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM)-responsible for military operations across Central and South America-has been at the helm during the rapid deployment of approximately 10,000 personnel as part of what the Pentagon describes as a significant counterdrug and counterterrorism campaign.

His decision comes less than a year into a post that typically spans three years and coincides with what many regard as the most substantial operation of his 37-year military career. The reasons for his abrupt departure remain unclear. However, one current and one former U.S. official, both speaking anonymously due to personnel sensitivities, indicated that Admiral Holsey had expressed reservations regarding the mission and the attacks on vessels suspected of smuggling narcotics.

In a statement shared on social media, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth did not allude to any discord with the four-star commander.“On behalf of the Department of War,” Hegseth said, using the alternative title he now favours for the department,“we extend our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at year's end.”

(More to come...)

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