A diplomatic delegation arrived in the U.S. to sign an agreement negotiated by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, only to be blindsided by the news that the deal wasn’t moving forward after all.
During a July visit to Argentina, Noem signed a statement of intent to allow Argentinians to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without a visa. As part of the deal, Argentina’s customs agency agreed to use U.S. computer systems and software instead of Chinese vendors, Axios reported.
But it turned out Noem had failed to clear the agreement with Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, sources told Axios. The sources said Noem’s lack of communication and organization led to the ensuing diplomatic flub.
After DHS announced the agreement with Argentina, Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles sent out a memo reminding administration officials that major international decisions require prior authorization.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei is an unabashed fan of President Donald Trump, and according to a statement from Noem, the visa waiver plans were in response to Argentina “becoming an even stronger friend” to the U.S. under Milei’s leadership.
But the State Department was concerned about a corruption scandal involving Milei’s administration and wasn’t ready to strike a deal yet, according to Axios.
Nobody at Noem’s DHS bothered to tell Argentina that, though, and the government dispatched a delegation led by Juan Pazo, head of the country’s tax and customs agency, to sign the final visa-waiver agreement in Washington.
The group arrived in Miami en route to D.C. and was told by DHS not to continue their trip, Axios reported. The visa waiver agreement was “missing a signature,” said the U.S. officials, who also revealed the State Department’s concerns over the corruption scandal.
Pazo and the others spent two days in Miami and then returned home.
“Let’s just say this was not a great look from us,” a senior Trump administration official told Axios. “It’s embarrassing.”
DHS declined to comment on the miscommunication, telling the outlet in a statement, “There is no new or additional [visa waiver program]-related document pending signature with Argentina. We look forward to working with them going forward.”
The Daily Beast has also reached out for comment.
The incident is likely to serve as fodder for Noem’s critics, who have accused her of being more interested in publicity and photo ops than in substantive security work.
After her meeting in Argentina, DHS released half a dozen photos of Noem posing with Milei and signing the visa waiver statement of intent with Argentina’s security minister, Patricia Bullrich.
Afterward, the South Dakota native and former rancher went horseback riding with Bullrich at an Argentinian army base wearing a cowboy hat, jeans, oversize belt buckle, and full hair and makeup.
The secretary posted photos of herself riding alongside Bullrich and shared a video of herself galloping through a grassy field.
“My first time riding an Argentinian bred horse—her name is ‘Abundance’—she reaffirmed that no hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle!” Noem captioned the video.
Since taking the helm of the Department of Homeland Security, she has also cosplayed an immigration enforcement agent, border patrol agent, Coast Guard firefighter, surveillance plane pilot, and a patrol boat captain—all in full glam.
In mid-July, she faced criticism for finding the time to ask her social media followers to weigh in on her official portrait as former governor of South Dakota, even as she waited four days to sign off on crucial aid for deadly flooding in Texas.
All three portrait options featured Noem on horseback.
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