In a significant development regarding the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse, authorities have arrested two suspects involved in the crime. The first, Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, was apprehended on Saturday and faces serious charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery, as announced by the Justice Department on Monday.

The incident occurred while Secretary Noem was dining at Capital Burger, a popular restaurant located in Washington, D.C. on Easter Sunday. During her meal with family, Noem discovered that her purse was missing. After promptly informing her Secret Service detail, they alerted the local field office, initiating a swift investigation. Noem reported that her government identification card, along with multiple credit cards, had disappeared with her purse.

According to surveillance footage analyzed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Leiva was seen sitting at a nearby table, seemingly in close proximity to Noem. The footage captured him scooting his chair back and bending down under the guise of adjusting his jacket, which he used to conceal the act of picking up Noem's purse from the floor. Disturbingly, he later tossed aside Noem's driver's license, and subsequent footage showed him boarding a city bus, where he allegedly used her stolen credit cards to make purchases exceeding $200 on food and alcohol, according to statements from the Justice Department.

In a social media post on X, Secretary Noem expressed her gratitude to the Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other law enforcement partners for their efforts in apprehending the suspect responsible for the theft. Thank you to @SecretService @ICEgov and our law enforcement partners for finding and arresting the criminal who stole my bag on Easter Sunday as I shared a meal with my family at a Washington DC restaurant, she wrote.

Capital Burger, the establishment where the incident took place, has opted not to comment publicly on the theft.

Regarding the suspect, the DOJ revealed that Mario Bustamante Leiva is originally from Chile and is currently residing in the United States illegally. NPR has not independently verified this claim but acknowledges the serious implications of Leiva's status. Additionally, he is linked to two other purse thefts that occurred in Washington, D.C. earlier this month, where he allegedly employed the same deceptive technique of using his jacket to cover his hand while retrieving bags. In those incidents, Leiva reportedly used the stolen credit cards to make nearly $900 in purchases.

In light of these developments, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued an immigration detainer against Leiva. This legal measure mandates that law enforcement agencies hold undocumented suspects for an additional 48 hours following their release, allowing ICE to determine further actions.

Leivas attorney, Ubong Akpan, was contacted for comment but did not respond immediately to requests from the press.

In a shocking turn of events, the DOJ disclosed that in an interview with officials from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service, Leiva confessed to using his feet to slide Secretary Noem's purse from beneath her table. He stated that he was unaware of Noem's identity prior to committing the crime.

Leiva made an appearance in Superior Court in D.C. on Monday regarding a fugitive warrant that is unrelated to the robbery charges, according to the DOJ. They have yet to respond to inquiries concerning the nature of the warrant.

In a related development, Secret Service agents based in Miami apprehended a second suspect on Sunday who is believed to have played a role in the purse thefts in D.C. Although the identity of this individual has not yet been disclosed, it is expected that charges will be filed soon.

Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros stated, After receiving information from Washington, Miami Beach Police officers quickly implemented targeted patrols and located the defendant, who was taken into custody without incident.

Surveillance footage reportedly shows the second suspect accompanying Leiva at a D.C. subway station, where they allegedly utilized Noem's stolen credit cards to add funds onto their transit cards. The second suspect has also been linked to a Motel 6 booking in D.C., which he made using his own name while paying with one of the stolen cards. The DOJ has indicated that Leiva confirmed the identity of this second suspect and acknowledged having seen him shortly before his own arrest.

Both suspects are now being held under immigration detainers, as confirmed by the Secret Service, warranting further investigation into their illegal status and potential additional charges.