Two Chilean men who allegedly targeted elite U.S. athletes in a robbery scheme have been arrested
The two Chilean men were arrested for the string of robberies that allegedly occurred between 2024 and 2025, including NFL stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes as victims. They were also accused of robbing the home of former Argentine tennis champion Juan Martín Del Potro this month, per the New York Post.
Ignacio Zuñiga Cartes and Bastián Jiménez Freraut, both 23, were arrested earlier this month for stealing jewelry, medals and rackets from the 2009 US Open champ’s home in Tandil.
The officials discovered that Cartes and Freraut were part of a South American crime ring that stole from the homes of high-profile US athletes including NFL stars Mahomes and Joe Burrow, NBA player Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs athlete Kelce, fiancé of pop megastar Taylor Swift.
The thieves, who traveled to the US for the crimes, timed their burglaries to coincide with the athletes’ away games, and stole watches, cash, jewelry and other luxury items after breaking into their homes totaling over $3.5 million, according to the Justice Department.
The arrests comes just a little over a year after the Department of Justice charged seven Chilean nationals with a string of nationwide burglaries targeting professional athletes.
“The individuals were members of a South American Theft Group that burglarized the homes of professional athletes around the country,” the DOJ said in a press release at the time. “These individuals targeted high-profile athletes in the National Football League (NFL” and National Basketball Association (NBA), all of whom were away or playing in professional games at the times of the burglaries. These individuals stole valuables worth over $2 million.”
The men listed in the criminal complaint at the time were: Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez and Sergio Ortego Cabello.