Brazen South American Burglary Ring Targeting NFL and NBA Stars Broken Up With Arrests in Argentina

A Crime Ring Built Around Game Day

The defendants were allegedly members of a South American theft group that burglarized the homes of athletes in the NFL and NBA while they were away or playing games at the time. It was a simple but ruthless formula: wait for tip-off or kickoff, then strike. The burglars were consistent — they would target athletes' homes during away games based on publicly available schedules, and break a window or pry open a sliding door with a crowbar.

Three purported members of the South American theft group that allegedly targeted the homes of professional athletes in the United States were arrested in Argentina. The three Chilean citizens are wanted in the U.S. on federal charges in connection with burglaries that targeted the homes of athletes including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The arrests, which took place in May 2026, mark one of the most significant breakthroughs in a case that rattled professional sports leagues across the country.

From Kansas City to Buenos Aires

All three — Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes — are named in a federal complaint filed last year, which charged seven defendants total with conspiring to transport stolen goods across state lines. Argentine and Chilean federal police collaborated on the operation that led to their arrests.

Two of the suspects — Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut — are among five people arrested in connection with a robbery at the home of Argentine tennis player Juan Martin del Potro that occurred earlier this month in Argentina, according to Argentinian authorities. In other words, their continued criminal activity abroad ultimately led investigators right to them. The arrest of the third suspect, Pablo Zuniga Cartes, was unrelated to the tennis player incident, according to Argentinian authorities.

The complaint also included an iCloud photo recovered by investigators that allegedly showed three suspects posing with a damaged safe, watches, necklaces, a ring and burglary tools. An FBI special agent said he believed the owner of the phone, Pablo Zuniga Cartes, was referencing the October 2024 burglaries of Kelce and Mahomes because he was wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt in the photo. It was a brazen, almost theatrical piece of self-incrimination.

The Scope of the Damage

Prosecutors allege they stole valuables worth more than $2 million. The list of victims spans multiple leagues and cities. Authorities have connected the alleged burglary crew to thefts involving Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, NBA players Bobby Portis and Mike Conley Jr., Dallas Stars captain Tyler Seguin, and other professional athletes. The theft group was also linked to the December 2024 burglary at the home of a Memphis Grizzlies player targeted in Tennessee while the team was playing Golden State in Memphis, with burglars stealing jewelry, watches and luxury bags valued at $1 million.

According to the FBI, organized crime groups from South America used publicly available information and social media to track athletes' habits and travel. The groups used technology allowing them to bypass alarm systems, block wireless internet connections and disable devices, cover security cameras and hide their identities. This was not a band of opportunistic thieves — it was a sophisticated, well-resourced criminal enterprise.

What Comes Next

Chilean authorities told ABC News the suspects are now in Chile awaiting possible extradition proceedings to the United States. But the road to a U.S. courtroom may be long. Even with the U.S. request filed, the extradition of the suspects will take a long time. Argentine law requires that local criminal charges be fully settled before suspects are sent to another country. Legal experts estimate the entire international legal battle could take up to two years to finalize.

Chilean Commissioner Enrique Gutierrez stated, "These individuals will face justice in the United States or Argentina. They had no significant criminal record in Chile, having specialised in robberies outside our borders." That detail speaks volumes about how these groups operate — staying clean at home while running criminal operations abroad. The FBI has previously warned professional sports leagues that organised burglary crews have increasingly targeted athletes because their travel schedules are predictable and often widely publicised. As long as game schedules remain public and high-profile athletes live in visible luxury, law enforcement will need to stay several steps ahead of the next crew willing to exploit both.