Three alleged members of a South American burglary crew accused of targeting the homes of high-profile athletes, including Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, have been arrested in Argentina and returned to Chile, according to Chilean authorities cited by ABC News [1]. The suspects, identified as Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes, are wanted in the United States on federal charges related to a series of burglaries targeting professional athletes across the country [1].
Two of the suspects, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, were among five people arrested in connection with a robbery at the home of retired Argentine tennis star Juan Martin del Potro earlier this month, while Pablo Zuniga Cartes was arrested separately and was not linked to the del Potro case [1]. Additional individuals, Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, all Chilean nationals, are charged in the December burglary of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's home [1].
The arrests were the result of a joint operation between Argentine federal police and Chilean authorities, with the suspects now in Chile awaiting possible extradition proceedings to the United States [1]. In total, seven people have been charged in a federal complaint that describes the group as a 'South American Theft Group' (SATG) [1]. The January 2025 complaint alleges the crew tracked publicly available game schedules to target athletes while they were away, using a consistent modus operandi involving breaking windows or prying open doors with crowbars [1].
The complaint details thefts of jewelry, Rolex watches, cash, luxury luggage, and designer bags worth millions of dollars from athletes’ homes across multiple states [1]. The burglary spree reportedly targeted NFL and NBA players, including Mahomes, Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, with the homes of Mahomes and Kelce burglarized days apart in October 2024 while the players were away [1]. The group is also linked to a December 2024 burglary at a Memphis Grizzlies player’s Tennessee home and an earlier break-in at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player’s residence, where items valued at roughly $167,000 were stolen [1].
CONCLUSION
The arrest of the alleged South American burglary crew marks a significant development in a high-profile theft ring targeting U.S. professional athletes. With suspects now facing possible extradition to the United States, authorities are moving closer to resolving a series of multimillion-dollar burglaries that have impacted the NFL and NBA communities.