Argentine police have confirmed the arrest of two Chilean nationals on suspicion of being members of a transnational gang that orchestrated the theft of the houses of well-known athletes, together with NBA and NFL stars.
Argentina’s Federal Police confirmed in a press release on Monday that the arrest happened on the Retiro bus cease in Buenos Aires.
Native police mentioned the 2 Chilean nationals had been a part of a prison group that focused the houses of outstanding American and Argentine athletes, together with Kansas Metropolis Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and former tennis participant Juan Martin del Potro.
ABC Information reported that Argentine authorities recognized the boys as Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jiménez Frero, who had been amongst a bunch arrested in reference to a theft at del Potro’s dwelling earlier this month.
A 3rd man, Pablo Zuniga Cartes, who was unrelated to the Del Potro theft however wished in reference to the athlete theft in the USA, was additionally arrested, ABC Information reported.
The arrests had been made in a joint operation between Argentine and Chilean police, and the boys are awaiting extradition proceedings in Chile on the request of the USA, ABC Information mentioned.
In the USA, the houses of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Milwaukee Bucks ahead Bobby Portis had been additionally focused.
In 2024, the NFL issued a purple alert to groups and the gamers’ affiliation following a housebreaking on the dwelling of Mahomes and Kelce.
The FBI mentioned organized crime teams in South America used public info and social media to trace the athletes’ habits and journey. The group used know-how that allowed them to evade alarm methods, block wi-fi web connections and disable gadgets, cowl surveillance cameras, and conceal their identities.
Gadgets stolen from the gamers’ houses whereas they had been away included jewellery, tens of millions of {dollars} in money, trophies and medals.
In February 2025, seven Chilean nationals had been indicted in federal court docket in Florida on fees of conspiracy to move stolen property throughout state traces. This crime carries a most penalty of 10 years in jail. A person arrested in Argentina was additionally amongst these charged.
One other man named within the indictment, Alexander Esteban Huykil Chavez, pleaded responsible in March in federal court docket in Tennessee to interstate transportation of stolen property and is scheduled to be sentenced June 11.
The opposite three males indicted, Sergio Andres Cabello, Bastian Alejandro Morales and Jordan Francisco Sanchez, had been arrested final 12 months and charged with breaking into Vallow’s dwelling in Ohio on December 9, 2024. Their case is pending within the Southern District of Ohio, with the following listening to scheduled for July 8.
ESPN’s Michael Rothstein and The Related Press contributed to this report.
