Katie Holmes Fires Security Team -- They Were Too Close to Tom Cruise

Katie Holmes has fired her old security team because they were way too close to Tom Cruise ... TMZ has learned.

The team -- made up of a bodyguard and driver -- worked for Tom for years, before Tom even met Katie ... and when he and Katie hooked up, Tom assigned the duo to Katie full-time.

The security team worked directly for Katie for years -- but today, Katie appeared with a new security detail made up of 5-6 bodyguards. Neither the old bodyguard nor the driver was anywhere in sight.

Sources connected to the actress tell us, Katie let the old team go after filing for divorce last week -- because of their allegiance to Tom. It's unclear if the duo were Scientologists.

The last time Katie was seen with her old security team was last Tuesday. Katie filed for divorce on Thursday.