It happened in a flash. One minute, Kristi Noem is sitting at a table with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, D.C., and the next, her purse is just... gone. You’d think the Secretary of Homeland Security would be the last person to get hit by a petty thief, especially with a Secret Service detail literally feet away. But that’s exactly what happened on Easter Sunday, 2025.
Honestly, it sounds like something out of a movie, but the reality was much more suburban and, frankly, a bit embarrassing for the security apparatus. Noem was in the middle of a family dinner with her kids and grandkids. She had her bag tucked right by her feet under the chair.
The thief was a "pro." That’s how Noem described it later.
What Really Happened with Kristi Noem's Bag Stolen in D.C.
The details are kind of wild when you look at the surveillance footage. A guy wearing a medical N95 mask and a baseball cap walked into the restaurant. He didn't order food. He didn't even stay for five minutes.
According to law enforcement sources, the suspect—later identified by police as Mario Bustamante Leiva—used his foot to hook the strap of Noem's bag. He dragged it just far enough away to drop a coat over it, picked the whole thing up, and walked out the front door.
Nobody noticed. Not the Secretary. Not her family. Not even the multiple on-duty Secret Service agents who were reportedly stationed at the bar less than 20 feet away.
🔗 Read more: When Does Joe Biden's Term End: What Actually Happened
The $3,000 Cash and the "Easter Gift" Explanation
One of the first things that raised eyebrows was the amount of cash in the bag. Most people don't walk around D.C. with $3,000 in hundred-dollar bills in their wallet. When the news broke, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had to put out a statement pretty quickly to explain it.
They said Noem had just made a large withdrawal because she was treating her entire family to Easter dinner and wanted to buy gifts for her grandchildren. If you've ever tried to manage a large family outing in D.C. during a holiday weekend, you know it's expensive, but three grand is still a "flex" by most standards.
Beyond the cash, the thief made off with a high-stakes haul:
- Noem’s DHS access badge (the "hard pass" used to get into secure government buildings).
- Her U.S. passport and driver's license.
- A Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet.
- Personal medication and makeup.
- Blank checks and apartment keys.
The loss of the DHS badge was the real kicker. That's a massive security risk. While the agency can deactivate the electronic access remotely, having a physical government ID in the hands of a criminal is a nightmare for the Secret Service.
Was She Targeted or Just Unlucky?
For a few days, everyone was wondering if this was a targeted hit. Was it a foreign operative trying to get her credentials? Or maybe a political statement?
💡 You might also like: Fire in Idyllwild California: What Most People Get Wrong
The Secret Service eventually shut those theories down. They basically said Noem was a victim of a "crime of opportunity." The guy, Bustamante Leiva, was a Chilean national who investigators linked to a string of similar "dine-and-dash" style thefts in the D.C. area. Just a few days earlier, a similar theft happened at a Westin Hotel just blocks away.
Basically, the thief was looking for luxury bags. He saw a high-end purse on the floor and took his shot. He likely had no clue he was stealing from the woman in charge of the nation's borders until he opened the wallet and saw the "Secretary of Homeland Security" badge staring back at him.
The Paper Trail and the Miami Arrest
The investigation moved fast because the thief wasn't exactly a ghost.
After leaving The Capital Burger, the suspect reportedly took a bus to an Italian restaurant. He sat at the bar for hours, literally with Noem's purse sitting next to him. He then used her American Express card to rack up a $258.70 bill on food and booze. Talk about bold.
The Secret Service and ICE eventually tracked a second suspect, an accomplice, all the way to Miami Beach. They found him with a fake California ID. As for Bustamante Leiva, he was hit with federal charges. Because of their immigration status and the nature of the crime involving a cabinet member, officials noted that they would likely face deportation after serving their time.
📖 Related: Who Is More Likely to Win the Election 2024: What Most People Get Wrong
The Security Fallout
The incident sparked a lot of "how did this happen?" conversations in the White House.
Former Secret Service agents, like CNN analyst Jonathan Wackrow, pointed out that this was a significant security breach. If a guy can get close enough to hook the Secretary’s bag with his foot, he’s close enough to do something much worse.
It’s a reminder that even the most protected people are vulnerable to basic, low-level street crime.
D.C. crime stats had actually been trending down slightly in early 2025, but high-profile incidents like this make the "war zone" rhetoric—which Noem herself has used when talking about cities like Chicago—feel a lot more personal.
What You Should Do to Stay Safe
You don't have a Secret Service detail, so you have to be your own security. If it can happen to a Cabinet Secretary, it can happen to you.
- Never put your bag on the floor. Even if it's between your feet. Thieves are experts at the "hook and drag" move while you’re distracted by conversation.
- Use a bag hook or keep it on your lap. If you’re at a restaurant, keep the strap looped around your arm or chair leg (though even chair legs aren't 100% safe).
- Limit your cash. Carrying $3,000 is a massive risk. If you must carry large amounts, split it up between your person and your bag.
- Digital Backups. Always have photos of your ID and passport stored in a secure, encrypted cloud folder. It makes the replacement process 10x faster.
If your bag is stolen, your first call shouldn't be the police—it should be your bank to freeze every card. Then, file the report. Kristi Noem's situation shows that even with the best investigators in the world on the case, your stuff is usually gone for good once it leaves the building.