Police received a report of a one-vehicle collision on the A69 trans-Pennine dual carriageway, close to Throckley, shortly after 11.30pm on Thursday, November 28, 2024,

A heavy goods vehicle driver dialled 999 after coming across a grey Ford Raptor which had collided with a barrier on the westbound carriageway.

Emergency services were swiftly deployed and the sole passenger in the car, 28-year-old Matthew Newton, from Carlisle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Mr Newton’s then-friend and the car driver, Ross Neville, had fled the area before police arrived.

Ross Neville, right, jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for almost 12 years for causing the death of friend Matthew Newton, by dangerous driving (Image: Northumbria Police)

An investigation was immediately launched by Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, resulting in Neville’s arrest the following day. 

Neville, now 35, of Canonbie, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, was later charged with offences including causing death by dangerous driving and causing death whilst driving without insurance. 

Despite escaping the scene, investigators were able to prove he was over the drink drive limit at the time of the collision through CCTV and financial inquiries.

They discovered he had been drinking pints of beer, shots and spirits in a city centre bar with Mr Newton for five hours before setting off to drive them home.

Footage captured him driving dangerously, narrowly missing street furniture and overtaking vehicles at speed, leaving Newcastle, with his vehicle reaching 108mph just before the collision itself.

Pick-up truck driver Ross Neville fled from scene, on A69, west of Newcastle, following fatal collision (Image: Northumbria Police)

Neville pleaded guilty to all offences at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, January 23, and today (Wednesday, March 25) he was sentenced to a total term of imprisonment of 11 years and 11 months by Judge Edward Bindloss.

He was also banned from driving for seven years upon his release from prison.

During today’s hearing, a statement was read out on behalf of Mr Newton’s mother, Anna, who spoke of her family’s pain at losing their “firstborn” child of three.

She said: “The 28th November 2024 will always be the date that broke my heart and changed my life forever.

“My life as I knew it ended that day to be replaced with the mere existence I live with now.

Matthew Newton was pronounced dead at the scene of collision on the A69 trans-Pennine road, west of Newcastle (Image: Northumbria Police)

“I never thought I would ever be in a position to know what losing a child felt like.”

She said: “We have been robbed of Matthew’s future in the most traumatic, horrific way, with so many things stolen from us … seeing what he would have become, seeing him get married, having children of his own and watching him proudly as he fulfilled his dreams.

 “lnstead, we now have to live with this void in our lives and also watch his brother, sister and grandparents heartbroken trying to adjust to a life without him.

“Life is hard now, a daily struggle filled with a constant overwhelming sadness, my heart aches every waking minute and the feeling of loss is painfully unbearable.”

She added: “Matthew was the most beautiful person, had the absolute best of friends, lived at home with us, would do anything for anyone, built up a successful business and was simply loved by everyone who knew him.

Tributes were paid to deceased Matthew Newton in victim statement read out in court on behalf of his mother Anna (Image: Northumbria Police)

“He had the brightest smile and lit up every room he walked into.

 “At 28-years-old he should have had his whole future ahead of him, now all I’m left with is an empty chair.”

Speaking after the outcome of the case, Sergeant Greg Huntley of Northumbria Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This was a shocking incident, with Neville driving so dangerously and recklessly that he killed his friend Matthew.

“Worse still, he has then went on to tell the HGV driver who came across the crash that his friend was fine, before shamelessly fleeing the scene.

“It is clear to me that Neville was not a good friend, and he only had himself in mind that evening as he left Matthew with unsurvivable injuries in his car.

“Despite the challenges faced in the early stages of the investigation, we were able to trawl CCTV and financial data to piece together Neville’s actions.

“From this, we know that he consumed alcohol to excess in Newcastle city centre before getting back in his pick-up truck to drive them home.

Read next … more court/crime news from The Northern echo, by clicking here

“He thought by running away he could hide how much he had drank, but thanks to tireless work by officers we proved this in other ways.”

 Sgt Huntley added: “As ever, our thoughts firmly remain with all of Matthew’s loved ones as they continue to navigate a life without him.

“While no result will take away their anguish, I hope they feel a sense of comfort knowing Neville will spend a lengthy spell in prison.”

A Cambodian man deported by the US to the African kingdom of Eswatini under the Donald Trump administration’s third-country programme was released on Wednesday to be repatriated, his lawyer said.

The man spent five months in detention at a maximum-security prison with other deportees.

Pheap Rom was deported to the southern African nation in October and held at the Matsapha Correctional Centre.

After his release, he took a commercial flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, to start his journey to Cambodia, his US-based lawyer Tin Thanh Nguyen told the Associated Press.

The US has sent 19 migrants from other countries to Eswatini in three batches since July. Mr Rom is the second to be repatriated after a Jamaican man was flown home in September.

When Mr Rom and a group of nine other shackled deportees arrived in Eswatini on 6 October, they were greeted by 20 or 30 military personnel wearing masks and carrying machine guns surrounding the private jet.

None of the detainees knew where they were going, though some felt hopeful they would be freed after finishing their prison sentences. Mr Rom had finished his 15-year prison sentence in the US for attempted murder.

As they departed the airport and veered into a rural road, panic set in. “They pulled into the dirt road and you see nothing but dirt road. I was like, oh, yeah, they’re definitely going to kill us and just dump us on this dirt road,” Mr Rom, 43, said during a phone interview while he was still detained in Eswatini last week.

Instead, they were escorted into Matsapha Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison, where the men would be detained, without any charges, and kept apart from inmates convicted of murder, terrorism, robbery and other crimes committed in that country.

The first two months were the hardest, Mr Rom said. Inmates were woken up at 7.30am, allowed 15 minutes outdoors, and were inside their cells at 5.30pm.

Phone use was permitted once a week and limited to 10 or 15 minutes. “And that once a week they will sit right there and listen to your conversation and then they will write down what you’re talking about in a book that they have, in the logbook that they had,” he said, referring to the guards.

If families were asleep, working or didn’t have WhatsApp, they were unable to call again for another week. Under those conditions, it was difficult to reach attorneys.

A report released by the Senate Foreign Committee Relations estimated it cost about $413,000 to deport a person from the US to Eswatini.

Despite the expense, Mr Rom described impoverished conditions at the prison.

Inmates received one roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap per week.

Meals were often meatless. For breakfast, inmates received either porridge or a piece of bread with tea, Mr Rom said. For lunch and dinner, they received a scoop of rice and vegetable broth or a side of beans. Some days they received chicken, but often if they wanted protein, they had to buy boiled eggs, chicken or beef platters from the commissary.

Conditions improved in the last three months of Mr Rom’s detention. Outdoor time was increased and inmates had access to the internet and cellphones to make international calls to family, friends and lawyers.

Mr Rom’s family moved to the US as refugees when he was a child and later became lawful permanent residents. Mr Rom lost his legal status during removal proceedings and was ordered deported. Though he has not lived in Cambodia, he said he was still excited to go there and be free.

“I hope that my repatriation sets a path for their repatriation, because these guys are still human beings, fathers, sons, uncles and they deserve due process,” Mr Rom said.

Mr Trump has taken a hard-line stance on immigration and the US has deported around 300 migrants to countries they have no ties with under the third-country programme, according to a report compiled by Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Lawyers have criticized the programme as unlawful.

The US has struck deals with at least seven African nations to take some of those migrants. The US paid Eswatini $5.1 million to take up to 160 deportees, according to details of the deal released by the US State Department. While Eswatini’s government has previously said the migrants are there in “transit” on their way home, the deal allows them to be held in Eswatini for up to a year.

Mr Rom served a 15-year prison sentence in the US for attempted murder and was released in late 2024, Mr Nguyen said, adding in a statement that Mr Rom being held at the prison in Eswatini for five months was unlawful because he faced no criminal charges in the African country.

“Rom’s release proves what we have argued from the beginning. These third-country deportations are unnecessary and unlawful,” he said.

The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have defended third-country deportations as a means to quickly remove people who are in the US illegally. Many of the deportees sent to Eswatini were convicted of serious crimes and had completed their sentences in the US.

But lawyers say sending migrants to countries they have no ties with is a tactic by the administration to bypass US immigration laws and denies the deportees their rights, including a fundamental principle that anyone being detained should be able to challenge it in court. Third-country deportations have been the subject of several legal cases, both in the US and in some countries where migrants are sent.

Last year, the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to go ahead with third-country deportations. In February, a US federal judge ruled that the policy was unlawful because it didn’t give migrants notice of where they were being sent or an opportunity to challenge their deportations. An appeals court lifted that order this month.

The deportations have been the subject of two legal challenges in Eswatini, which is ruled by a king and is one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. An Eswatini lawyer acting on behalf of deportees being held at the Matsapha prison — where Mr Rom was also held — says he has been denied access to them and has sued the government.

In a separate case, local advocacy groups have challenged the legality of Eswatini holding foreign nationals for months in a prison.

The Trump administration’s choice of African countries to strike deportation deals with and pay money to is also under scrutiny. It includes nations with notoriously repressive governments and sketchy human rights records such as Eswatini, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea.

Eswatini’s King Mswati III has long been accused of clamping down on pro-democracy movements, sometimes violently.

The US has sent more than two dozen deportees to Equatorial Guinea, a small, authoritarian state in West Africa ruled by the same president since 1979 and where the government is accused of being one of the most corrupt in the world.

Democrats in the US have questioned the Trump administration over a $7.5 million payment it made to the government of Equatorial Guinea.

World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon says play-off semi-final opponents Northern Ireland have been the “only focus” for Italy, and not the wider prize of a spot at the finals this summer.

Italy have not qualified for a World Cup since 2014 after play-off defeats by Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament after finishing second behind group winners Norway.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side could become the first World Cup winners to miss out on three tournaments in a row, but if they can progress against Northern Ireland and then beat either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina, they will be rewarded with a spot in Group B with co-hosts Canada, Switzerland and Qatar.

Buffon, who is Italy’s technical delegate, said it was “an important moment” and the full focus had to be on Thursday’s semi-final in Bergamo.

“We shouldn’t have any doubt, our focus is only on Northern Ireland and the semi-final,” Buffon told BBC Sport.

“Then, if we’re happy, we’ll think about the final against Wales or Bosnia.

“But for the last four months, our only focus has been on Northern Ireland, because that’s the way it is.

“Northern Ireland are the first obstacle, and they are a team that deserves our respect.”

Buffon, who played a key role in appointing World Cup-winning team-mate Gattuso in June, said Italy’s situation was a “situation of stress that has accumulated over the years”.

But he felt the team spirit that Gattuso brought to the job gives Italy the “right confidence to finally get to a World Cup”.

The game will be played at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo, which has a capacity of 25,000, instead of the larger San Siro or Stadio Olimpico.

Italian journalist Daniele Verri had said he felt there was some superstition at play as Gattuso’s first game as manager was a 5-0 win over Estonia at the New Balance Arena, and Italy have not lost in any of their five matches in Bergamo across the span of 62 years.

Buffon said that the home of Atalanta was the “best seat” for the game, and the positivity around the venue made it the logical choice to play Italy’s biggest match in four years.

“When the coach played his first game we had a great win, and that evening we remember it was a great atmosphere and there was great support.

“The first half ended 0–0, but the people understood the effort that the team was giving and they supported us.

“This is something, a detail, that is in the minds of the staff and in the minds of the players, so it is very important.”

He said: “Separately, beyond these hostile state threats, I am also cognisant of a potential new threat: an emerging willingness of foreign actors and private citizens, including from allies like the United States, to interfere in, and influence, politics abroad in pursuit of their own agenda.”

These instances can often come at a financial cost, sometimes referred to as the “ADHD tax”, such as paying late fees and penalties for administrative delays, replacing frequently lost items, missing appointments or pre-booked travel, impulsive purchases and budgeting issues.

Harry Maguire is out of contract at Manchester United in the summer and talks have been held over a new deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford

Harry Maguire will seek assurances over his playing time before committing himself to a new Manchester United contract.

The veteran defender, now 33, is out of contract in the summer. United are keen to tie down Maguire to a one year deal with the option for another 12 months and the two parties have held talks about keeping him at Old Trafford. But Maguire doesn’t want to stay out of sentiment and admits he will only commit himself to a new deal if he believes he can remain a first choice for the duration of his contract.

“I think we’ll reach an agreement where it’s best for the club and myself,” he said. “What that agreement is, I’m sure you’ll find out over the next few weeks. But yeah, I think it’ll get sorted sooner rather than later, whether I stay or leave. But I think it will – it should – get sorted pretty soon.

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“I love this club. But it’s got to be right for myself, it’s got to be right for the club as well. I don’t want to be staying on sentimental value.

“I want to be staying because I want to be there and the club want me to drive the club forward still, and they feel like I’ve got a big part to play in it.

“And if that’s the case, then I’m sure we’ll sit down and reach something.”

Quizzed on what it would take to convince him to stay, Maguire added: “Playing games and helping the team on and off the pitch. I don’t want to be not feeling important.

“I want to be important to the club. So we need to sit down and speak – and I’ve got a long time off now with the red card.”

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Manchester City midfielder Rodri admits he would find it difficult to turn down a move to Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world during his time at City, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win 11 major trophies including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Rodri suffered a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024 and completed just two Premier League games in 2025.

But since the New Year, the Spain international has played on a more consistent basis and delivered an impressive performance in City’s 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last Sunday.

Rodri will have just a year remaining on his contract with City at the end of the season and in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero on Wednesday evening, the midfielder made it clear that he would welcome a move to Madrid.

Asked if he would like to return to La Liga, Rodri replied: ‘I’d like to return, yes, obviously.

‘For me, La Liga is where I started. I still follow it, it’s true not as much as before, but I still follow it.

‘And I have to admit that the Premier League is my weakness. I think it’s a thrilling league but at the same time very demanding, meaning it pushes you to the limit. I’ve been there for seven years now, and I’m noticing the passage of time, but for the moment I’m very happy there.

‘I’m currently recovering from an injury, and what worries me right now is my feeling, my level, how to get back to my previous level. Not the contract issue, that will come, especially with a World Cup coming up, which is crucial for reaching my level.

‘Right now I’m free, well, obviously I have a year left on my contract, obviously there will be a point where we’ll have to sit down and talk, have a conversation.’

Asked if he would turn down a move to Real Madrid because he has already played for Atletico, Rodri replied: ‘No, I mean, there have been many players who have gone down that path, right? And especially not directly, but over time.

‘I mean, for me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.

‘They have a fanbase that really goes all out for them, and for me, the Bernabeu is always incredible, a stadium that’s very imposing.’

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The winner of the clash in beautiful Bergamo faces a World Cup play-off final against either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina next week

Gennaro Gattuso says Italy are bracing for a long-ball assault from opponents who will be “frothing at the mouth” when they face Northern Ireland tonight.

The Azzurri boss has told his players they must be prepared to suffer if they want to beat Michael O’Neill’s team in Bergamo and reach the World Cup play-off final against either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The former Rangers star said: “We’ve analysed seven or eight games — and I think that Northern Ireland’s main characteristic is this: a team that strongly believes in everything they do, that attacks you on second balls, they like to play vertically.

“They consistently throw the ball into the box, playing 70 and 80 yard passes with eight or nine players with an incredible hunger to score. They play on second balls, they know how to handle them, and we have to be good at that.

“They’re certainly a team that when they get the ball in the air, whether from set pieces or crosses, are incredible, because they have an incredible ruthlessness in this area, and these are Northern Ireland’s main qualities.

“We have to be ready, both physically and mentally, to face players who will be frothing at the mouth.

“Northern Ireland’s players fight for every ball as if it is the last ball of their lives. You have to understand it well, you have to know how to suffer.”

Nobody does history quite like the Italians. But even by their standards, Bergamo is special. Nestled in the foothills of snow-capped mountains, it’s a town of almost implausible beauty.

On Thursday night, however, the worry for the locals is that things could turn ugly.

For the thing about history is that, while it can swell the chest with pride, it can also burden the shoulders, depending on the gravity of the situation.

And for Italy, the situation is grave; lose tonight against Northern Ireland, and the four-time world champions will have failed to reach football’s biggest stage for the third time in a row.

As visiting boss Michael O’Neill put it: “We are the team with everything to gain. They are the team with everything to lose. Their players will have to deal with that.”

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As the manager of an underdog team, facing one of the game’s heavy-hitters on their own turf, the wily O’Neill knows psychology can be a huge factor in this World Cup play-off semi-final.

Ghosts lurk in the recent collective memory of the Azzurri. Haunted by failures against Sweden in 2018 and, more shockingly, North Macedonia in 2022, the boys in blue will look to perform an exorcism at the New Balance Arena tonight.

O’Neill isn’t shy about leaning into the fact that the heat is on the home side.

“The pressure of managing Italy is a lot different from the pressure of managing Northern Ireland.

“I have admiration for Gennaro coming in and taking the job when he did, after the previous manager left after two games.

“His results have been good, he’s had five wins and then a defeat in their last game, in Milan against Norway, 4-1.

“That’s the last game that they’ve played and it’s difficult because you can carry that result for a period of time.”

O’Neill’s young side, backed by their loyal Green and White Army in the stands, have the energy and enthusiasm to get about the Italians, to frustrate them and prey on any doubts.

He added: “It’s important for us to keep the game tight, to make sure that the game’s not too open. Italy will expect us to play it that way.

“The longer the game stays at 0-0, the more difficult it always becomes for the team with the expectation on them.

“The most important thing is we play the game in phases. We anticipate a tough start to the game but we also know we can carry a threat, whether that’s from open play or from set-piece situations.

“Italy have to deal with the situation they have but we don’t expect to come here and have a high-scoring game.

“The one thing we can’t lack as a team is desire and competitiveness.

“What we have in our team is real athleticism. The benefit of young players is that they like to run for long periods in the game and I think that will be a key feature. We have to make sure that we show the best side of ourselves in all of the duels and the physicality of the game.

“But obviously we have to demonstrate quality and use the ball effectively.”

Italy manager Gattuso will recognise and admire those qualities; as a player he had them in abundance, and was a vital cog in his country’s World Cup-winning team alongside the more lavishly gifted Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Andrea Pirlo.

His squad boasts no individuals of that calibre, yet it would be foolhardy to think they won’t have enough about them to dominate the majority of this contest.

Discipline, courage and a dose of good fortune will be essential for Northern Ireland.

Overlooking the battlefield is one of Bergamo’s many beauties: the Venetian Walls, built in 1561 to protect the city from enemy attacks. Yet one reason this Unesco World Heritage Site retains such grandeur is that the walls were never actually involved in a siege, never had their structure and integrity tested by bombardment and battering rams.

O’Neill’s men know they won’t have that luxury on Thursday night.

Possible teams:

NI: P Charles; Spencer, McNair, Brown, Hume; Galbraith, S Charles, McCann, Price, Donley, Charles.

ITALY: Donnarumma; Calafiori, Mancini, Bastoni; Palestra, Locatelli, Tonali, Barella, DiMarco; Kean, Retegui

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Security Administration may have to shut down operations at some airports if the budget impasse drags on, the agency’s acting head said Wednesday, even as record wait time for travelers did little to end the standoff over the funding fight in Congress.

The TSA’s Ha Nguyen McNeill described the mounting hardships facing unpaid airport workers — piling up bills and eviction notices, even plasma donations to make ends meet — and warned that lawmakers must ensure “this never happens again.”

“This is a dire situation,” she testified at a House hearing, warning of potential airport closures. “At this point, we have to look at all options on the table. And that does require us to, at some point, make very difficult choices as to which airports we might try to keep open and which ones we might have to shut down as our callout rates increase.”

Yet on the 40th day of the standoff involving the Department of Homeland Security, there was no easy way out in sight. Neither Republican senators, who made the latest offer, nor Democrats, who countered by reiterating their demands for changes to President Donald Trump ‘s immigration enforcement operations, appeared closer to a compromise.

Trump, who initially appeared to have given his nod to the deal, has declined to lend it his full support or put his political weight behind making sure it is approved.

Top officials at agencies under the DHS umbrella spoke for more than three-hours before the House Homeland Security Committee about the potential risks of security lapses unless the partial government shutdown comes to an end.

A deal teeters on collapse

DHS has gone without routine funding since mid-February. Democrats are insisting on changes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations after the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal officers during protests.

The latest GOP proposal would fund most of DHS except for the enforcement and removal operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that have been central to the debate. The plan would provide money for other aspects of ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection.

While the offer added some new restraints on immigration officers, including the use of body cameras, it excluded other policies that Democrats have demanded, such as requirements that federal agents wear identification and refrain from conducting raids around schools, churches or other sensitive places.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said they needed to see real changes. “We’ve been talking about ICE reforms from day one,” he said.

Republican leaders said Democrats are putting the country at risk.

“They know this is crazy,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

But conservative Republicans also panned the proposal, demanding full funding for immigration operations and skeptical of the promise from GOP leaders that they would address Trump’s proof-of-citizenship voting bill in a subsequent legislative package.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said late Wednesday that if Democrats put a “more realistic offer on the table, we’ll be back in business.”

Airport lines grow

as TSA workers endure hardships

McNeill, the acting TSA administrator, told lawmakers that multiple airports are experiencing greater than 40% callout rates and more than 480 transportation security officers have now quit during the shutdown.

She cited the growing financial strain on the TSA workforce.

“Some are sleeping in their cars, selling their blood and plasma, and taking on second jobs to make ends meet, all while being expected to perform at the highest level when in uniform to protect the traveling public,” she said.

McNeil also said TSA officers working at the nation’s airports have experienced a more than 500% increase in the frequency of assaults since the shutdown began.

“This is unacceptable and it will not be tolerated,” McNeill said.

The top executive overseeing Houston’s airport said security lines that have travelers waiting four hours or more could get longer if the political impasse was not soon settled.

Lines that twist and turn across multiple floors at George Bush Intercontinental Airport have been the result of TSA only being able to staff one-third to one-half the usual number of checkpoint lines, said Jim Szczesniak, aviation director for Houston’s airport system.

Trump’s decision to send ICE agents to the airports risks inflaming the situation, lawmakers have said. Video footage of federal officers detaining a crying woman at San Francisco International Airport drew outrage Monday from local officials, although it was unrelated to Trump’s order to deploy immigration officers.

FEMA also at risk

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund is “rapidly depleting,” Victoria Barton, a FEMA external affairs official, told lawmakers.

FEMA is able to continue its disaster response and recovery work as long as that fund has money, and about 10,000 of its disaster workers continue being paid through it.

___

Associated Press writers Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas, Russ Bynum in Houston and Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego contributed to this report.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been pictured taking her close adviser, Corey Lewandowski, on an official visit to South America amid claims the two are having a taxpayer-funded affair.

The U.S. Embassy in Guyana shared photos of Noem’s visit, where in two of which Lewandowski was pictured sitting next to her, Wednesday.

“Kristi Noem held a meeting with His Excellency President Irfaan Ali and Guyanese government officials to reaffirm the enduring U.S.-Guyana partnership,” the embassy wrote on X. “Their discussions focused on joint efforts to disrupt cartel and transnational criminal activity, strengthen border security, discourage illegal immigration, and promote economic opportunity.”

Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced that Noem’s tenure leading the Homeland Security Department, in which she oversaw the president’s massive immigration crackdown, was ending. Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma was subsequently confirmed by the Senate and sworn into the role.

Despite her ouster from the Homeland Security Department, Trump is keeping Noem in his orbit, albeit in a diminished role by appointing her the special envoy to his new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere called “The Shield of Americas.”

The initiative brings together leaders of several South American countries to commit to stopping drug cartels. Guyana was one stop on Noem’s tour, where she also visited the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica and Ecuador, according to Reuters.

Noem and Lewandowski traveled on a Homeland Security Department plane, Reuters reported. The department would not confirm the “whereabouts of our plane” to the publication.

The Independent has reached out to the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Guyana and the Homeland Security Department for comment.

Noem and Lewandowski’s relationship has been scrutinized over allegations that the pair, who are both married to other people, are having an affair. Both have denied the rumors.

During a House Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this month, Noem was asked by Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a California Democrat, minutes after Noem’s husband, Bryon, left the room, “At any time during you tenure as director of the Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?”

“I am shocked we are going down and peddling tabloid garbage today at this committee,” Noem replied.

Photos of Lewandowski by Noem’s side on her trip have sparked backlash online.

Meghan McCain, a conservative media personality and the daughter of the late Republican Senator John McCain, wrote on X, “Kristi Noem – you brought Corey Lewendowski [sic] with you to Guyana after just being fired from your last job after being asked in front of congress if you’re in an unprofessional relationship with him….

“GIRL WHAT IS YOU DOING?!?”

Billy Binion, a reporter for the libertarian Reason magazine, wrote, “Why are my taxpayer dollars funding Corey Lewandowski’s travel to Guyana? How is that remotely acceptable?”

“Nice to see Corey Lewandowski continuing his work with the ambassador to the shield of the Americas,” CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski wrote.

Olivia Gazis, intelligence and national security reporter for CBS News, wrote that U.S. and state officials told the outlet Lewandowski is not employed by the State Department and there is no job lined up for him there in the future.

The officials added that the photos of Noem with Lewandowski are not from a State Department trip, adding that Noem departed for South America days ago while still in her capacity as Homeland Security secretary.