Kristi Noem out as special envoy for Shield of the Americas, moved to advisory role

Former Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem’s appointment as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Shield of the Americas coalition has ended, with Noem moving into a senior advisory role at the State Department.

CBS News first reported on Thursday evening that Noem’s special envoy status had expired last month, and a State Department official confirmed to USA Today that she is now a senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau while continuing to work on the Shield of the Americas portfolio.

“We’ve seen the secretary’s time as envoy expire,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on NewsNation on Thursday. “She continues to be at the State Department as a senior adviser.”

In a statement posted on Friday, Noem said the special envoy role “was always a six-month appointment”.

Noem took the envoy role in March after Trump removed her as Homeland Security secretary following clashes with lawmakers over a $220 million department advertising campaign. The Shield of the Americas coalition brings together the United States with Caribbean and Latin American countries on anti-cartel enforcement and regional security. Last month Noem met Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa as part of the initiative.