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, with her designation expiring last month, a State Department official said on October 15. Noem will continue working on the initiative as a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
“Kristi Noem’s envoy status expired last month and she is no longer in the role,” the State Department 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 development marks a change in Noem’s diplomatic responsibilities, although she remains involved in the administration’s efforts to coordinate security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere.
Also read: Trump launches ‘Super Intelligence Force’: Who is on the team and what is its 120-day deadline?
Noem’s envoy role expires after diplomatic engagements
Noem’s designation reportedly expired shortly before the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. Despite the change, she continued participating in diplomatic meetings linked to the initiative.
On September 22, she 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 the initiative’s 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 had been appointed special envoy in March after Trump removed her as homeland security secretary amid scrutiny of her management of the department and the influence of her adviser, Corey Lewandowski.
Her transition to the diplomatic role coincided with a five-country tour of Latin America and the Caribbean in March, much of which took place while she was completing her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security.
Also read: US military weighs using ‘mother of all bombs’ against Iran in future strikes: Report
Lewandowski appeared in photographs taken during some of those visits. The State Department later clarified that he did not hold a formal position at the department.
What is the Shield of the Americas?
The Shield of the Americas is a coalition established by the Trump administration earlier this year involving the United States and several countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The initiative aims to promote cooperation on economic matters, anti-cartel enforcement and other regional issues. Noem’s work included meetings with regional officials, including discussions with Ecuadorian and Colombian diplomats in Washington in September.
Her public activities in the envoy role appeared limited, with engagements concentrated around regional diplomatic meetings and discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
What happens to Noem’s role now?
Although Noem is no longer the initiative’s special envoy, the State Department has confirmed that she will continue working on the Shield of the Americas portfolio as a senior adviser to Landau.
The department has not provided further details about the scope of her revised responsibilities.
The change follows Noem’s departure from the Homeland Security Department earlier this year and her subsequent move into the administration’s diplomatic efforts in the Western Hemisphere. Her continued involvement means she will remain engaged with the initiative, but without the special envoy designation.