Argentine police confirmed they arrested two Chilean citizens suspected of being part of a transnational gang that orchestrated burglaries at the homes of well-known athletes, including stars from the NBA and NFL.
The arrests took place at the Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires, the Argentine Federal Police confirmed in a statement Monday.
According to local police, the two Chilean citizens were part of a crime ring that targeted the homes of prominent athletes in the U.S. and Argentina, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and former tennis player Juan Martin del Potro.
ABC News reported that Argentinian authorities identified the men as Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and reported that they were among a group arrested in connection with a robbery at del Potro’s home earlier this month.
A third man wanted in connection with the athlete burglaries in the U.S., Pablo Zuniga Cartes, also was arrested, although not in relation to the del Potro robbery, ABC News reported.
According to ABC News, the arrests were made in a joint operation between Argentine and Chilean police, and the men are in Chile awaiting extradition proceedings requested by the U.S.
In the U.S., targets also included the homes of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, among others.
In 2024, the NFL issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following the burglaries involving the homes of Mahomes and Kelce.
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.
Jewelry, millions of dollars in cash, trophies and medals were among items stolen from residences while the athletes were out of town.
In February 2025, seven Chilean citizens were charged in a federal court in Florida with conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The men arrested in Argentina were among those charged.
Another man listed on the indictment, Alexander Esteban Huaiquil Chavez, pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property in Tennessee federal court in March and is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.
Three other men in the indictment — Sergio Andres Cabello, Bastian Alejandro Morales and Jordan Francisco Sanchez — were arrested last year and charged with burglarizing Burrow’s home in Ohio on Dec. 9, 2024. Their case remains pending in the Southern District of Ohio, and their next hearing is scheduled for July 8.
ESPN’s Michael Rothstein and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
