Suspect In Noem Purse-Snatching Case Is An Illegal Immigrant: Report

A man accused of stealing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse has reportedly been taken into custody, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C.

Additionally, reports indicate that the male suspect — who has not yet been officially named by U.S. Attorney Ed Martin — is allegedly in the United States illegally, according to the New York Post, which also noted that a second migrant suspect remains at large.

The perpetrators allegedly stole “Noem’s pricey Gucci bag containing $3,000 in cash and other personal items,” The Post reported.

On April 20, while celebrating Easter with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C., Noem, 53, had her high-end shoulder bag stolen by a masked individual. Among the stolen items were her driver’s license, passport, DHS badge, and apartment keys.

Sources informed The Post that the suspect was apprehended by the DC Metro Police in collaboration with the Secret Service.

Authorities believe the suspect is connected to a broader East Coast robbery ring and expect him to appear in court early next week as they continue searching for the second suspect. Officials stated that the second individual is also reportedly an illegal immigrant.

Martin emphasized to a media outlet that there was no evidence Noem was specifically targeted.

“There is no indication it was because of that,” Martin told NBC News.

“It was frankly, it was a nice-looking purse. This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief, that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out,” he added.

According to a police complaint, the stolen bag — valued at $4,400 on the brand’s website — had been placed on the floor next to the former South Dakota governor’s table. Inside, there was also a Louis Vuitton Clemence pouch, estimated to be worth $600.

Surveillance video shows a white man, masked with an N95, wearing dark pants, a fur-trimmed jacket, and a ball cap, lifting the DHS secretary’s bag and exiting the restaurant, located roughly a mile from the White House.

Although officials have not formally named the suspect in custody, Blaze Media correspondent Julio Rojas shared on X that “a law enforcement source” in Washington identified him as Mario Bustamante Leiva, a Chilean national previously arrested in London in 2015 for similar offenses.

Sources familiar with the surveillance footage said the suspect appeared to case the restaurant before seizing Noem’s bag, hiding it under his jacket, and swiftly making his escape.

“It was kind of shocking, actually, because it was sitting right by my feet. I actually felt my purse — he hooked with his foot and drug it a few steps away and dropped a coat over it and took it,” Noem, who oversees agencies such as the Secret Service, US Customs and Border Protection, and the Coast Guard, told podcaster Vince Coglianese.

“I thought it was my grandkids kicking me in the legs, but it was very professionally done,” she continued. “It tells me that this happens all the time to people, and that they live in communities where this is a danger and it reaffirms why I’m here.”

The Secret Service is responsible for protecting the DHS secretary, much like it protects the president and other top officials. It remains unclear if Noem’s security detail was present inside the restaurant at the time of the theft.

Martin stated that with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement now involved, the suspects will not be permitted to re-enter the country.