Amid rising tensions with Venezuela and US military strikes on suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean, the US admiral who commands military forces in Latin America will step down at the end of this year, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced. Announce On social media.
Admiral Alvin HulseyThe general’s sudden departure comes less than a year after he took over as head of the US military’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Publication usually lasts three years.
A source told Reuters there had been tension between the four-star captain and Hegseth as well as questions about whether he would be sacked in the days leading up to the announcement.
New York Times Reports An unnamed US official said Hulsey “raised concerns about the mission and attacks on alleged drug boats.”
In a statement shared on social media, Hegseth did not reveal why Hulsey plans to “retire at the end of the year.”
“On behalf of the War Department, we express our deepest gratitude to Admiral Alvin Hulsey for more than 37 years of distinguished service to our nation as he plans to retire at the end of the year,” Hegseth said, referring to the department’s name change.
The publication also noted that Hulsey began his career “through the NROTC program at Morehouse College in 1988.” Morehouse is a private, historically black college in Atlanta.
In a statement subscriber According to US Southern Command’s X account, Hulsey said he planned to retire from the Navy on December 12 after a career spanning nearly four decades. to 1200 “I am confident that you will move forward, focused on your mission that strengthens our nation and ensures that it continues as a beacon of freedom around the world,” Hulsey said.
“Keep charging!!” He added.
Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Hulsey’s “unexpected” departure “sends a troubling signal about instability within the chain of command.”
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“Any operation to intervene militarily in Venezuela — especially without congressional authorization — would be unwise and dangerous,” Reed said in a statement on Thursday. “Admiral Hulsey’s resignation only deepens my concern that this administration is ignoring the hard-won lessons of previous U.S. military campaigns and the advice of our most experienced warfighters.”
In February, Donald Trump abruptly fired Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sidelining a history-making black fighter pilot and respected officer as part of a campaign to… Purging the military of leaders who support diversity And justice in the ranks.
In 2021, Hulsey scored Public service announcement Urging Black Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.