WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—The US admiral responsible for overseeing controversial strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean said Thursday he will retire just a year into his tenure.

Admiral Alvin Holsey is leaving his position as head of US Southern Command, which is responsible for US forces operating in Central and South America.

Washington has deployed significant forces — including stealth warplanes and seven Navy ships — as part of what it says are counter-narcotics efforts in the region.

So far, US forces have carried out strikes against at least five alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean that have left 27 people dead — a campaign which experts say is illegal.

The buildup has sparked fears in Caracas that the ultimate goal is regime change in Venezuela.

“Effective 12 December 2025 I will retire from the US Navy,” Holsey said in a statement posted on Southern Command’s X account.

“It’s been an honor to serve our nation, the American people and support and defend the Constitution for over 37 years,” he said, without providing an explanation for his early departure.

Since beginning his second White House term in January, President Donald Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, general Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.

Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.

The chief of staff of the Air Force also announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.

Earlier this year, Hegseth additionally ordered at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10 percent cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.