Three federal law enforcement officials, including one senior official within the Department of Homeland Security, say DHS Secretary Kristi Noem fabricated a story about a cannibal on an ICE deportation flight.
"It is completely false," one senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter told The Intercept. Two other officials said there was no evidence the incident ever occurred. One described the account as "obviously utterly false" while another said bluntly: "that never happened."
Noem first shared the story during a July press conference alongside President Donald Trump, describing "a cannibal" who had "eaten other people" and then "started to eat himself" while restrained on a deportation flight. She later repeated the claim on Fox News:
'He called himself a CANNIBAL, ate other people & himself' — Sec Noem explains ICE dealing with LITERAL cannibals@MTodayNews pic.twitter.com/0XxxlG70p3
— The Sacred Blue Tent (@SabrinaGal182) June 28, 2025
When asked about the account, a DHS spokesperson said Noem was relaying a story told to her by an air marshal. But officials said attempts to verify the claim through ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division produced no record. "There was no information about it. It never took place. It's a lie," one source told The Intercept. When asked who originated the story, another official responded: "Noem."
The episode comes as the official faces growing criticism over her handling of recent fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis in which she labeled one of the deceased, Alex Pretti, a "domestic terrorist," prompting backlash.
Some Republicans have expressed concern about her leadership recently; Sen. Thom Tillis calling for her removal. President Trump has publicly defended Noem but assigned border czar Tom Homan to oversee Minneapolis operations, a move some allies viewed as significant. Over a hundred Democrats have co-sponsored articles of impeachment against her.
Noem has also faced scrutiny over other controversies in the last few days. An NBC News report detailed tensions between DHS and senior Coast Guard officials after directives redirected resources from search-and-rescue operations toward deportation flights. According to the report, Noem's tenure at the agency has created divisions within the Coast Guard, the only branch of the U.S. military overseen by Homeland Security.
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