Prosecutors charged Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s purse thief with federal robbery, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft Monday.
Noem’s Gucci purse was swiped by a masked man while she was dining at Capital Burger in Washington D.C. last Sunday.
After almost a week-long search for the perpetrator, Chilean national and undocumented migrant Mario Bustamante Leiva was arrested Saturday by the Metropolitan Police Department and Secret Service.
According to the charging documents, police arrested a second suspect who was then charged with possession of stolen or fictitious identification.
Ed Martin, interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and nominee, revealed to NBC News that the second suspect was also in the country illegally.
He said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement are now involved in the case as well.
Martin went on to assure that under President Donald Trump’s leadership, Bustamante Leiva “won’t be back on the streets of America.’
“President Trump’s direction to us is we charge these folks that are here illegally and we prosecute them, as well as deport them when need be, you know, as soon as that can happen,” Martin told NBC News.
Bustamante Leiva “denied any prior knowledge” of who Noem was at the time of the robbery, Martin adding that “there is no indication it was because of that.”
“Frankly, it was a nice looking purse,” Martin said.
The charging documents said that after fleeing the scene, Bustamante Leiva spent a little over $200 at the restaurant Angolo Ristorante Italiano using Noem’s cards, where he remained till midnight before falling asleep on a table outside.
The documents also showed that Bustamante Leiva committed three robberies between April 12 and April 20, with Noem as his last victim.
The Chilean national confessed to stealing ICE Barbie Noem’s purse, but told authorities that he was an alcoholic and had memory issues.
He also admitted to stealing designer purses and bags in London back in 2014.
According to the charging documents, in Noem’s bag were “several of her personal credit cards and her United States Government Personal Identification Verification card,” as well as makeup, her keys, her passport, and $3,000 in cash.
Some believed that the money was for Noem’s speculated affair with her adviser, Corey Lewandowski, one X user hypothesizing that it was to “keep certain expenditures off of their credit card bills.”
If you wonder why the DHS Secretary brought $3,000 in cash to dinner, consider that she’s reportedly having an affair with her unofficial top aide. (Both are married and may want to keep certain expenditures off of their credit card bills.) https://t.co/FRvUdUavVa pic.twitter.com/FxP5LqAtuH
— Eric Columbus (@EricColumbus) April 21, 2025
“Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren,” said Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, shutting down any alternate theories.
“She was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,” she added.
The post ICE Barbie’s Purse Thief Reveals Why He Targeted Her appeared first on The Daily Beast.
