As RedState reported, the perpetrator who stole Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci purse on Easter Sunday was arrested and identified. On Saturday, the U.S. Secret Service reported that Mario Bustamante Leiva was taken into custody after using Noem's American Express card to booze it up directly after he stole her purse on April 20. 

The booze-hound illegal migrant who snatched Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci purse brazenly drank for hours with her Amex card at an Italian eatery after pulling off the caper, according to shocking details released by the feds.

Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, was caught on camera blowing $205.87 on food and alcohol at Angolo Ristorante Italiano in Washington, DC, on April 20 just minutes after he slyly made off with her shoulder bag, charging documents from the US Attorney’s office of DC show.

Ballsy or brain dead? Not sure at this point. On Sunday, our editor Bob Hoge further reported that the second subject who was at large had been detained but not yet identified. The USSS Miami Field Office press release on Sunday from Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros gave more detail on how the second subject was apprehended:

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.

While charges are yet to be filed, that second subject has now been identified: On Monday, Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana was arraigned in a Miami courtroom on "possession of a stolen or fictitious driver’s license.”

The prime suspect was taken into custody by federal authorities in DC, while his alleged partner in crime, 51-year-old Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana, was arrested in Miami Beach on Sunday.

Prior to his arrest, Montecino-Sanzana was spotted walking into a Walgreens in Miami Beach.

According to detectives, they found an identification that didn’t match his name.

According to the arrest report, he told officers he “purchased the California identification card for work purposes.”

Montencino-Sanzana "purchased" his identification? Yeah, it's a thing, and no surprise that California was involved. Charges have been filed against Bustamanate Leiva and he also has an ICE detainer against him.

Mario Bustamante Leiva, 49, a Chilean National who is in the U.S. illegally, was arrested on April 26, 2025, on a criminal complaint charging wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery in connection with three purse snatchings in the District and the unauthorized use of victim credit cards.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

An initial appearance in U.S. District Court is pending. Bustamante Leiva appeared in Superior Court today on an unrelated fugitive warrant. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged an immigration detainer against him.

How law enforcement took down one of these two perpetrators is quite fascinating. Weeks before he stole Noem's Gucci purse, Bustamante Leiva had been busy in D.C. liberating other victims of their bags.  

According to court documents, on April 12, 2025, a victim reported to MPD that her purse was stolen from the back of her chair while she was dining at Nando’s restaurant, in the 800 block of F Street, NW. Law enforcement recovered video surveillance of the suspect who appeared to be acting in concert with a second individual (Suspect 2). An unauthorized transaction totaling more than $500 was made using the victim’s credit card.

On April 17, 2025, a victim at the Westin Hotel, in the 900 block of 9th Street, NW, reported her purse had been stolen while it was hanging on the back of her chair, while she was having dinner. Two unauthorized transactions for more than $400 were made using the victim’s credit card.

On April 20, 2025, a third victim, who was dining at the Capital Burger restaurant in the 1000 block of 7th Street, NW, reported that her purse, which she had placed at her feet while dining, had gone missing. Law enforcement recovered video surveillance of the suspect, who made unauthorized transactions, totaling more than $200, using the victim’s credit card. The victim also lost cash and personal documents.

The assessment on whether Bustamante Leiva was ballsy or brain dead may have fallen into the latter category: The day before he robbed Noem, Bustamante Leiva reported to the police that he was robbed of a bag of his belongings! This allowed law enforcement to isolate his location after the theft of Noem's purse. So, perhaps not the brightest bulb in the box.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement learned that on April 19, 2025, Bustamante Leiva had reported a robbery to Montgomery County (MD) Police, claiming a bag containing his belongings were [sic] stolen from him while he was asleep on a bench.

On April 26, 2025, law enforcement from the U.S. Secret Service and MPD went to a location where Bustamante Leiva was staying, located him, and placed him under arrest. Following his arrest, law enforcement interviewed Bustamante Leiva in connection with the purse thefts.

USSS continues to affirm that Noem was not specifically targeted by Bustamante Leiva because of her government position. 

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Secret Service alleges that the defendant is a serial offender. We have also determined that this incident had no protective nexus to Secretary Noem or her role as Secretary of Homeland Security. The investigation revealed alleged criminal activity, including potential device and credit card fraud. Given this, the Secret Service will maintain jurisdiction over the case and intends to present its findings to a federal court in coordination with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 

RedState will continue to update you on this story as the situation develops.

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