Trump's border czar breaks silence on illegal migrant who stole ICE Barbie Kristi Noem's $3K purse
Border Czar Tom Homan said criminals picked the wrong target when they stole Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse last week.
Two men were arrested in connection to the theft – one Homan claims is an illegal immigrant.
But Homan, 63, claims that Noem, 53, is not one to be messed with.
'[They] picked the wrong person to steal a purse from,' Homan told reporters at Monday's White House press briefing. 'I mean, Secretary Noem is a strong, strong secretary.'
'I know I've been talking about the success of the men and women of the Border Patrol and ICE, but under her strong leadership – she's a game changer,' he lauded.
Noem, dubbed ICE Barbie for her glamorous appearances at illegal immigration raids, had her designer purse with $3,000 in cash stolen from under her nose while dining with her family on Easter Sunday at The Capital Burger.
Noem, 53, was dining with her family at The Capital Burger in downtown DC on Easter Sunday when a man in a medical mask was able to sneak off with her Gucci bag, which contained $3,000 in cash
The incident occurred just a mile from the White House and resulted in the arrest of two individuals connected to the crime.
The primary suspect is Mario Bustamante-Leiva, a 49-year-old Chilean national with a long history of international theft. He was taken into custody in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
And now law enforcement sources say police have captured and arrested in Miami his alleged accomplice.
The pair are thought to be part of an organized East Coast robbery ring accused of terrorizing patrons of upscale restaurants, hotels and coffee shops from New York down to Florida.
'I don't have their criminal history, but I know the one that stole the purse is supposedly in the country illegally,' Homan said of Bustamante-Leiva during a briefing on President Donald Trump's immigration agenda over his first 100 days back in office.
Homan and Noem have worked in close coordination to crack down on migration and the southern border crisis.
'I'm happy to work with her despite the media I've read [claiming] that me and Kristi Noem have differences,' Homan said. 'Me and Kristi Noem are attached at the hip, there's no daylight between us. We're both going to push the president's agenda.'
The brazenness of the theft against Noem was carried out in broad daylight while she was surrounded by family on Easter Sunday last weekend. It stunned politicians and law enforcement because the victim is the nation's top DHS official and under 24/7 Secret Service protection.
It also serves to underscore the crime that Noem and Homan are seeking to stop by kicking out those living in the U.S. illegally.
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