Trinidad Steinert
María Trinidad Steinert Herrera (born 7 August 1970) is a Chilean lawyer, prosecutor, and politician. She served as Regional Prosecutor (Fiscal Regional) of Tarapacá from February 2024 until her resignation in January 2026. Since 11 March 2026, she has served as Minister of Public Security in the government of President José Antonio Kast, becoming the first woman to hold that office in Chile.
Her work at the Public Ministry of Chile has focused on the prosecution of organized crime and related offenses, including cases linked to irregular migration and human trafficking in northern Chile. On May 19, she was removed from her post and replaced by Martín Arrau.
Education
Steinert studied law at the Central University of Chile and qualified as an attorney before the Supreme Court of Chile. She later completed a master's degree in Chilean criminal procedure reform (Reforma Procesal Penal) at the same institution, with a focus on the accusatorial system and strategic criminal prosecution.
Career
Early career
Between 2000 and 2005, Steinert served as zonal director (directora zonal Centro) of the Corporación de Asistencia Judicial of the Metropolitan Region, a public body responsible for providing free legal defense services, where she coordinated legal assistance across several municipalities in the capital.
Public Ministry
In 2005, Steinert joined the Public Ministry of Chile as a prosecutor (fiscal) at the Southern Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor's Office, beginning her career in criminal prosecution within the Chilean accusatorial system.
In 2021, she moved to the Arica y Parinacota Region as a deputy regional prosecutor (fiscal adjunta regional), where she specialized in cases connected to irregular migration, human trafficking, and transnational organized crime. During this period she participated in high-complexity criminal investigations, including cases related to international criminal organizations such as the Tren de Aragua.
On 16 February 2024, she assumed office as Regional Prosecutor of Tarapacá, based in Iquique, becoming the highest-ranking Public Ministry authority in the region. From that position she oversaw the prosecution of drug trafficking, contraband, money laundering, and organized crime in a territory of particular strategic importance due to its location on Chile's northern border.
Professional and academic associations
Between 2017 and 2019, Steinert served as president of the National Association of Prosecutors of Chile (Asociación Nacional de Fiscales de Chile), participating in institutional debates on the autonomy of the Public Ministry, working conditions, and the strengthening of criminal prosecution. Concurrently, from 2018 to 2019, she was vice president of the Latin American Association of Prosecutors (Asociación Latinoamericana de Fiscales), taking part in regional coordination forums.
She has also taught criminal law and criminal procedure at the Escuela de Investigaciones Policiales of the Investigations Police of Chile and at the Universidad de Tarapacá, contributing to the training of police officers and university students.
Minister of Public Security
On 20 January 2026, President-elect José Antonio Kast announced Steinert as his choice to lead the Ministry of Public Security in the government scheduled to take office on 11 March 2026. She resigned from the Public Ministry shortly before the announcement. Her appointment was widely interpreted as recognition of her experience in criminal prosecution and organized crime, particularly in northern Chile. On May 19, she was removed from her post and replaced by Martín Arrau.