Man Arrested in Miami Beach Over Theft of Kristi Noem's Purse

Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana, 51, is being held in a Miami-Dade jail on an immigration detainer.

April 28, 2025

Image: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks into a microphone

The Miami Beach Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service have arrested a man in connection with the recent theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse. Flickr via Gage Skidmore

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The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) and the U.S. Secret Service have arrested a second suspect in connection with the recent theft of Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem’s purse.

On Easter Sunday, Noem was dining at a burger restaurant in Washington, D.C., when a man allegedly stole her Gucci bag holding her driver’s license and passport, DHS access badge, checks, medicine, and roughly $3,000 in cash. The primary suspect, 49-year-old Chilean national Mario Bustamante Leiva, was charged with two counts of robbery and reportedly faces additional charges for an offense that the U.S. Secret Service is investigating.

As first reported by WSVN's Sheldon Fox, Miami Beach Police helped nab a second suspect in connection with the robbery.

According to an arrest report obtained by New Times (and attached at the bottom of this story), around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Miami Beach Police detained 51-year-old Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana inside the Walgreens on Collins Avenue. Police found that he had a fake California identification card and charged him with possession of a stolen or fictitious driver's license, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

"This second offender is implicated in a pattern of thefts and robberies with the primary defendant who is accused of the robbery of the Secretary," a Secret Service spokesperson told NBC News. "He was taken into custody earlier today with critical assistance from the Miami Beach, Florida police department and immigration and customs enforcement."

It remains unclear how exactly Montecino-Sanzana is connected to the high-profile theft.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin said that Montecino Sanzana, along with Bustamante Leiva, is in the country illegally.

Records show Montecino-Sanzana is currently being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, a Miami-Dade County jail, on an immigration hold (meaning he'll likely be taken into immigration custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials).

This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.

PDF — Cristian_Montecinosanzana.pdf

Alex DeLuca is a Miami New Times staff writer who focuses on news, crime, and public safety, education, and cannabis. Prior to joining New Times in June 2020, Alex worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and freelanced for The Appeal. She holds a bachelor's degree from the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

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