The admiral overseeing U.S. Southern Command and responsible for forces in the Caribbean, where the U.S. has carried out multiple attacks against suspected drug cartels off Venezuela's coast, is stepping down a year into his tenure, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Hegseth, in a social media post Thursday.

Admiral Alvin Holsey assumed command of U.S. Army Southern late last year, a position that typically lasts three years.

Hegseth did not disclose the reason for his transfer, but expressed his deepest gratitude to the admiral for his 37 years of service and credited him with a legacy of operational excellence and strategic vision. Hegseth acknowledged the transfer minutes after The New York Times reported that Holsey was expected to leave office prematurely.

The New York Times reported that an anonymous U.S. official said Holsey “had expressed concerns about the mission and the attacks on the suspected drug boats.”

“On behalf of the War Department, we extend our deepest gratitude to Adm. Alvin Holsey for his more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at the end of the year,” Hegseth said in his post on X.

The news of the admiral’s impending departure follows Trump’s announcement Tuesday that U.S. forces had killed six suspected drug traffickers in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.

The attack marked at least the fifth such operation since September, with nearly 30 deaths, Trump and Hegseth said.

The reason for Holsey's sudden retirement and brief tenure at Southern Command is unknown. He previously served as deputy director of Southern Command.