Kristi Noem, who was removed from her post as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, concluded a multi-nation trip on Wednesday in her capacity as the United States' special envoy to the Shield of the Americas, according to officials familiar with internal arrangements.
Noem, who arrived in Washington in January 2025 as a prominent Trump loyalist, carried out a sequence of visits across the Western Hemisphere that included stops in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guyana and Ecuador. Photographs and flight-tracking data cited by officials show she continued to use a DHS Gulfstream G700 jet that was purchased during her leadership of the department.
On Wednesday she met with Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa, who presented her with an order of merit. The visit completed the envoy mission that the Shield of the Americas launched on March 7, a coalition described by the administration as a concerted effort to confront drug cartels in the region. A Trump administration official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Noem will report to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau in her new role rather than directly to the president.
Officials said Noem was expected to return to the United States later on Wednesday and that she is not anticipated to retain access to DHS aircraft after that return. The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Noem’s assignment or reporting line.
Questions have been raised about Noem’s continued use of DHS transportation and staff while carrying out the envoy duties. When asked whether DHS officials had staffed the trip or to comment on the use of the government plane, an agency spokesperson said only: "We are not going to comment on the whereabouts of our plane or DHS staff."
During the trip, Noem signed an initial agreement in Costa Rica that would allow the country to accept migrants deported from the United States who are nationals of third countries. The U.S. Embassy in San José described that action as her "final act as Secretary and in her role as Shield of the Americas Envoy."
Accompanying Noem on the visits was Corey Lewandowski, the longtime Trump operative who served as her aide at DHS. Photos posted by the U.S. Embassy in Guyana show Lewandowski at meetings alongside Noem and Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to explain why Lewandowski was present on the trip but said he would not be joining the department in any official capacity.
The close relationship between Noem and Lewandowski drew public scrutiny earlier this month when, at a congressional hearing, a Democratic lawmaker directly asked Noem whether she had a sexual relationship with Lewandowski. Noem dismissed that line of questioning as "tabloid garbage." Lewandowski did not immediately respond to requests for comment on his presence during the tour.
The Shield of the Americas initiative, launched earlier in March, has been framed by the administration as an assertive campaign to confront drug-trafficking organizations, and it brings together mainly right-leaning governments from South America. The program forms part of a broader administration emphasis on reasserting U.S. influence within the Western Hemisphere, according to statements tied to the initiative.
Trip itinerary (reported stops):
- Dominican Republic
- Honduras
- Costa Rica
- Guyana
- Ecuador
The sequence of events, the change in Noem’s supervisory chain to the State Department and questions about the use of DHS assets mark a transition to a narrower, more specialized diplomatic role for the former cabinet official. Several elements surrounding staffing and future access to department resources remain unclear, with key agencies declining to provide further detail.