Former US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is no longer serving as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Shield of the Americas initiative, although she continues to work on the administration’s regional security efforts in a different capacity.
A State Department official confirmed on Thursday, October 15, that Noem’s appointment had expired last month.
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” the official told CBS News. “She is now a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary Landau and continues to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.”
The Shield of the Americas is a coalition established by the Trump administration earlier this year involving the United States and several Caribbean and Latin American countries. The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation on economic issues, anti-cartel enforcement and regional security.
Noem’s envoy designation expired shortly before the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. Despite the change in her formal status, she continued participating in diplomatic engagements connected to the initiative.
On September 22, Noem met Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, whose government identified her as the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. She also attended a gathering of regional leaders hosted by Trump, who publicly praised her work.
“I want to thank Kristi Noem for doing a really terrific job,” Trump said during his remarks.
Noem’s Transition After Homeland Security Exit
Trump appointed Noem as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas in March after removing her as homeland security secretary amid scrutiny of her leadership of the department and the influence of her adviser, Corey Lewandowski.
Her transition coincided with a five-country tour of Latin America and the Caribbean that month, much of which took place while she was completing her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security.
Lewandowski appeared in photographs during the visits, although the State Department later clarified that he did not hold a formal position at the department.
Noem’s public engagements as envoy included a meeting with Noboa in Quito on March 25, discussions with Ecuadorian and Colombian diplomats in Washington in September, and meetings with regional leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Although her formal appointment has ended, the State Department’s latest statement indicates that she will remain involved in the initiative as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
