In a development that sounds more like a plot twist from a crime drama than real life, the U.S. Secret Service announced on Sunday evening the arrest of a second individual connected to the robbery of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem.
Earlier reports had identified the first suspect as an illegal immigrant, Mario Bustamante Leiva, who allegedly made off with Noem’s Gucci bag during a family dinner in Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday.
Leiva, 49, was apprehended in D.C. after snatching the purse, which contained a staggering $3,000 in cash, along with Noem’s passport, apartment keys, a Department of Homeland Security badge, and a high-end $600 Louis Vuitton purse.
BREAKING: A law enforcement source in D.C. has confirmed to me the man accused of stealing DHS Sec. Noem’s purse is Mario Bustamante Leiva. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin has said the man is in the U.S. illegally.
A Daily Mail article from 2015 says Bustamante Leiva is Chilean… pic.twitter.com/6c1h6nPTsL
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) April 27, 2025
The plot thickened on Sunday with the arrest of a co-conspirator, also an illegal immigrant, who is now being held on an ICE detainer. Because, of course, why not add another layer of complexity to this already riveting tale?
The Secret Service provided a detailed statement about the arrest, noting the collaborative effort with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehend the second suspect, who is believed to be part of a broader pattern of criminal activity in the area.
Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Miami, Florida, on Sunday arrested a second suspect linked to a pattern of robberies and thefts in Washington, D.C.
The individual is believed to be a co-conspirator in those incidents with the primary defendant who is accused of committing a robbery against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The arrest was made early Sunday with critical assistance from the Miami Beach Police Department and ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division.
Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office announced the arrest.
“Public safety is strongest when built on trust and collaboration,” Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros said. “We are grateful to the Miami Beach Police Department for their swift and outstanding assistance in today’s apprehension. After receiving information from Washington, Miami Beach Police officers quickly implemented targeted patrols and located the defendant, who was taken into custody without incident.”
The suspect is currently being held on an immigration detainer as charges are finalized in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The defendant’s name will be released upon the filing of those charges.
JUST IN: A second suspect tied to a pattern of thefts & robberies in DC has been apprehended by @SecretService & @ICEgov, with outstanding assistance from @MiamiBeachPD. Details on both cases here https://t.co/Gp0NC3pq6S pic.twitter.com/BTuQdEY7Bn
— Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) April 27, 2025
