Kristi Noem Steps Down as Trump Envoy for Shield of the Americas

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is no longer serving as the Trump administration's special envoy for the Shield of the Americas initiative, according to a State Department official. The official stated on Thursday that Noem's envoy status expired last month, but she remains involved in the administration's efforts to coordinate security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere. "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, consisting of the United States and several Caribbean and Latin American countries, aimed at cooperating on economic matters, anti-cartel enforcement, and other issues. Noem's envoy designation expired just before the United Nations General Assembly last month, where she continued to participate in diplomatic meetings related to the initiative. On September 22, she met with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, who publicly identified her as the special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. She also attended a gathering of Shield of the Americas leaders hosted by President Trump, who acknowledged her work during his remarks. "I want to thank Kristi Noem for doing a really terrific job," Trump said. Noem was appointed special envoy for the Shield of the Americas in March, following her removal as homeland security secretary amid scrutiny of her management and the influence of her adviser, Corey Lewandowski. Her transition to the envoy role coincided with a five-country tour of Latin America and the Caribbean in March, which occurred as she completed her tenure as homeland security secretary. Lewandowski appeared in photographs during those visits, but the State Department clarified that he had no formal position at the department. Her public activities in the envoy role included meeting Noboa in Quito on March 25, discussions with Ecuadorian and Colombian diplomats in Washington in September, and participation in meetings with regional leaders during the U.N. General Assembly.