The admiral overseeing U.S. Southern Command is leaving as the Pentagon continues to target small vessels in Venezuelan waters, alleging they are being used by drug traffickers.
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The head of US Southern Command, who oversees all military activities in the Caribbean and South America, is resigning after just a year in the post. His resignation was announced by Defense Minister Pete Hegseth this week on social media. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports.
KUILE LAWRENCE, BYLINE: Secretary Hegseth announced that Adm. Alvin Halsey will retire after 37 years of service in the Army and praised what he called the admiral's unwavering commitment to the mission, the people and the nation. US Southern Command later released a message from Admiral Halsey thanking his troops. This is highly unusual for an officer who did not complete his full three years of command in this manner, and even more unusual in the midst of a military buildup that has seen thousands of American troops deployed to positions off the coast of Venezuela. Admiral Halsey is black. The Trump administration fired several senior military leaders who were not white or women, implying that they were promoted for that reason. But this time there's a different theory, says retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery.
MARK MONTGOMERY: I would probably be more inclined to think that we are now conducting highly unusual operations in Southern Command that a reasonable person might not agree with the legality of.
LAWRENCE: At least six times recently, the US military has carried out fatal strikes on small civilian vessels. The White House claims they are carrying drugs. Critics say the strikes are illegal under both U.S. and international law and amount to summary execution. Montgomery says the military is ill-suited for the job.
MONTGOMERY: As much as I would like to prevent all drugs from entering the country, this type of law enforcement action against the drug supply is best handled by law enforcement agencies that follow due process.
LAWRENCE: A U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to NPR that Admiral Halsey recently met with Hegseth at the Pentagon to express his concerns and then resigned. After the news broke, President Trump confirmed the latest strike on a drug-smuggling submarine. Trump said without evidence that this was, quote, “not a group of innocent people.” A second U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said U.S. troops had captured two survivors of the strike and were being taken elsewhere for possible trial.
Quil Lawrence, NPR News.
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