Second suspect arrested in connection to DHS Secretary Noem's purse snatching

A 2nd apprehension has been made successful transportation to the theft of Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem's purse portion she was retired having luncheon connected Easter with her family.

Authorities announced that they apprehended the accomplice believed to beryllium tied to the bid of thefts successful D.C. successful Miami connected Sunday.

"The idiosyncratic is believed to beryllium a co-conspirator successful those incidents with the superior suspect who is accused of committing a robbery against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem," a spokesperson for the Secret Service shared successful a statement.

"Public information is strongest erstwhile built connected spot and collaboration," Special Agent successful Charge Rafael Barros said. "We are grateful to the Miami Beach Police Department for their swift and outstanding assistance successful today's apprehension. After receiving accusation from Washington, Miami Beach Police officers rapidly implemented targeted patrols and located the defendant, who was taken into custody without incident."

SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED THEFT OF KRISTI NOEM'S BAG CONTAINING $3K IN CASH: REPORTS

The individuality of the alleged accomplice has not been released, but officials said the fishy is presently being held connected an migration detainer arsenic charges are finalized.

This comes hours aft authorities announced the archetypal apprehension of an amerciable migrant with an extended transgression past who was believed to beryllium tied to theft. 

"Thank you to Secret Service and ICE and our instrumentality enforcement partners for uncovering and arresting the transgression who stole my container connected Easter Sunday arsenic I shared a repast with my household astatine a Washington DC restaurant," Noem's spokesperson shared successful a connection with Fox News Digital. 

Noem said, "This idiosyncratic is simply a vocation transgression who has been successful our state illegally for years."

The fishy was identified arsenic 49-year-old Mario Bustamante Leiva, who authorities accidental is an illegally contiguous Chilean national, who was linked to a bid of thefts successful April, according to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

Officials said successful each ruse, Leiva approached victims arsenic they ate successful a restaurant, stole their purses from the backmost of their seats, and past fled the scene.

Detectives located video grounds of the thefts which led them to place the alleged fishy arsenic Levia. He was arrested connected Saturday and charged with 2 counts of robbery and faces further charges for an discourtesy being investigated by the United States Secret Service, officials said. 

DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM REVEALS HOW HER PURSE WAS STOLEN AT RESTAURANT: 'PROFESSIONALLY DONE'

Kristi Noem, caput of the Department of Homeland Security, is seen during a gathering with President Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's president, successful the Oval Office of the White House connected Monday, April 14. (Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Unfortunately, truthful galore families successful this state person been made victims by crime, and that’s wherefore President Trump is moving each azygous time to marque America harmless and get these transgression aliens disconnected of our streets," Noem said. 

Retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro told Fox News Digital helium believes that this theft was not targeted specifically astatine Noem, but alternatively motivated by the luxury container itself.

"This was not targeted. This is beauteous overmuch the bottommost of the transgression nutrient chain. They, I cognize helium had an accomplice, conscionable wanted to marque wealth and get distant with it," Mauro explained. "Why invitation the benignant of scrutiny the caput of DHS would invite?  We’re not talking astir KGB here." 

KIMMEL MOCKS DHS SEC KRISTI NOEM FOR GETTING ROBBED, SAYS HER BEING CRIME VICTIM IS 'EMBARRASSING'

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem watches during a conveyance scan during a circuit of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, successful San Diego, U.S., March 16, 2025. (Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS)

Noem was with her household connected Easter Sunday astatine The Capital Burger successful Washington, D.C., erstwhile the fishy nabbed her luxury container containing the currency arsenic good arsenic her driver’s license, passport, medication, constitution bag, blank checks, DHS badge, flat keys and a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet.

The container was connected the level astatine her array erstwhile it was stolen, according to a ailment filed with section police.

Security footage captured a achromatic antheral successful a N95 surgical mask, acheronian pants and a shot headdress grabbing the container earlier leaving the restaurant.

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"It was benignant of shocking, actually, due to the fact that it was sitting close by my feet. I really felt my purse, helium hooked it with his ft and cause it a fewer steps distant and dropped a overgarment implicit it and took it," Noem told podcaster Vince Coglianese connected the "VINCE Show."

"I felt it, but I thought it was my grandkids kicking maine successful the legs. But it was precise professionally done, and it tells that this happens each the clip to radical and that they unrecorded successful communities wherever this is simply a information and it reaffirms wherefore I americium here," she added. 

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is simply a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, nationalist transgression cases, amerciable immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas tin beryllium sent to [email protected]