Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of a purse belonging to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during an Easter dinner at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, the U.S. Secret Service said Sunday.
Noem was seated at her table at The Capital Burger when the theft occurred, prompting a swift response from the Secret Service, which opened a formal investigation. Officials treated the case as a potential national security threat given the sensitive materials inside the bag.
The primary suspect was arrested in Washington, while a second man, believed to be an accomplice, was detained in Miami, according to the Secret Service. Authorities said the two men are suspected of working together.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows one of the suspects approaching Noem’s table and repeatedly eyeing her bag, which was resting on the floor. Dressed in dark clothing, the man eventually sat at a nearby empty table with his back to her, then discreetly used his foot to slide the bag toward himself. After hiding it under a jacket, he quickly left the restaurant.
Noem reportedly noticed the missing bag only after standing up from the table. Inside were personal items and documents containing sensitive information, including a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, driver’s license, medications, house keys, passport, Department of Homeland Security access badge, cosmetics, blank checks, and approximately $3,000 in cash.
Several security experts raised concerns about how the incident was handled, calling it a possible failure of standard protection protocols.
The Secret Service said it would retain jurisdiction over the investigation and present its findings to a federal court in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, according to Special Agent Matt McCool of the D.C. field office.
