Former DHS Chief Noem Transitions to New Anti-Cartel Role After Trump Firing

Kristi Noem, recently dismissed as Homeland Security Secretary by President Trump, has completed her first diplomatic mission as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas coalition. The former South Dakota governor concluded a multi-country tour Wednesday, meeting with Latin American leaders about anti-drug cartel efforts in her new, reduced role.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem concluded her inaugural diplomatic mission Wednesday as the newly appointed U.S. special envoy to an anti-drug cartel coalition, completing a multi-nation tour that signals her significantly reduced influence following her dismissal by President Donald Trump earlier this month.

During her final stop in Ecuador, Noem met with President Daniel Noboa, who presented her with an order of merit. She traveled aboard a DHS Gulfstream G700 aircraft with senior aide Corey Lewandowski accompanying her throughout the journey.

The former South Dakota governor and congresswoman, who arrived in Washington this past January as one of Trump’s most devoted supporters, now answers to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau rather than directly to the president in her position as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, according to an anonymous Trump administration source who discussed internal matters with Reuters.

Officials expect Noem to return to American soil Wednesday evening and anticipate she will lose access to DHS aircraft moving forward, the source indicated.

The State Department has not yet provided comment regarding Noem’s new position. When questioned about her use of government aircraft and whether DHS personnel supported the trip, a department spokesperson stated: “We are not going to comment on the whereabouts of our plane or DHS staff.”

The Shield of the Americas initiative, which launched March 7, unites primarily conservative South American leaders in what Trump has characterized as an intensive effort to combat drug cartels, representing part of his administration’s wider push to strengthen U.S. influence across the Western Hemisphere.

Noem initiated this diplomatic tour while still officially serving as DHS Secretary, and flight monitoring systems indicated she continued using the agency’s Gulfstream G700 aircraft acquired during her leadership, making stops in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guyana before reaching Ecuador.

During her Monday visit to Costa Rica, Noem executed a preliminary agreement allowing the nation to receive deported migrants from the United States who hold citizenship from other countries, which the U.S. Embassy in San José characterized as her “final act as Secretary and in her role as Shield of the Americas Envoy.”

Lewandowski traveled alongside Noem throughout the mission, as evidenced by photographs shared by the U.S. Embassy in Guyana showing him present during her discussions with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali. The veteran Trump advisor served as Noem’s assistant at DHS, and their professional relationship attracted attention during her time in office. During a recent congressional hearing, a Democratic representative directly questioned Noem about whether she maintained a romantic involvement with Lewandowski — an inquiry Noem rejected as “tabloid garbage.”

A State Department official, requesting anonymity, refused to clarify Lewandowski’s participation in the trip but confirmed he would not be joining the department in any official capacity. Lewandowski has not responded to requests for comment.