"Bustamante Leiva was also accused of a second theft on April 17 at the Westin Hotel in Washington, DC. In both cases, the stolen credit cards were later used at a grocery store to purchase gift cards."
Mario Bustamante Leiva was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing a handbag belonging to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. He targeted women in restaurants, stealing purses and using stolen cards quickly. The case raised concerns about Noem's Secret Service protection. The Trump administration cited this case to support its deportation efforts and military-led crime crackdown in Washington, DC. Bustamante Leiva's co-defendant, Cristian Montecino-Sanzana, received a 13-month sentence and also faces deportation. Both men were caught on surveillance during thefts in April 2025.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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