Overview

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse, containing sensitive credentials and $3,000 in cash, was stolen on Easter Sunday at a Washington, D.C., restaurant.
• The primary suspect, Mario Bustamante Leiva, a 49-year-old Chilean national in the U.S. illegally, was arrested in D.C. on April 27 and charged with robbery and other potential federal offenses.
• A second suspect, believed to be a co-conspirator, was arrested in Miami on April 28 with assistance from local police and ICE, as investigations continue into a broader theft ring.
• Authorities confirmed the theft was not politically motivated but part of a pattern of organized purse snatchings, with video evidence linking the suspects to other incidents in the area.
• The Secret Service is leading the investigation, focusing on potential credit card and device fraud, and will present its findings in federal court.