United States Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles has been removed from his position, and another career USSS member has been selected to take his place. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Alles will leave his role “shortly” and Secret Service member James Murray will take over his position in May. “United States Secret Service Director Randolph ‘Tex’ Alles has done a great job at the agency over the past two years, and the president is thankful for his over 40 years of service to the country,” Sanders wrote. In a letter to Secret Service staff, Alles reportedly wrote that he was not fired suddenly and was told “weeks ago” that “transitions in leadership should be expected across” DHS. “The President has directed an orderly transition in leadership for this agency and I intend to abide by that direction,” Alles wrote.

According to CNN, President Trump reportedly told Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to fire Alles as part of a “near-systematic purge” of the Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service director reported to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who submitted her resignation on Sunday. According to CNN, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Francis Cissna and Office of the General Counsel’s John Mitnick are the next officials to be removed.