Two Arrested for Theft of Noem’s Designer Handbag.

Authorities have arrested two men linked to the Easter Sunday theft of US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci handbag at a Washington, DC restaurant. Police charged 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva with robbery, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud. A second suspect, 51-year-old Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzanaat, was arrested by the US Secret Service in Miami.
Bustamante Leiva allegedly used Noem’s stolen credit card to make purchases, including a $205 meal at an Italian restaurant. Noem’s bag contained $3,000 in cash, credit cards, her Homeland Security badge, medication, and her driver’s license. Noem criticized the suspect as a “career criminal” and noted his alleged illegal immigration status. At the time of the theft, Secret Service agents were present but did not immediately notice the incident.