Argentine Federal Police have confirmed the arrest of two Chilean citizens, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, at the Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires. These individuals are suspected of being part of a transnational crime ring responsible for burglaries at the homes of prominent athletes in both the U.S. and Argentina. Among the high-profile targets were Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, and former tennis player Juan Martin del Potro.

According to ABC News, these arrests were part of a joint operation involving Argentine and Chilean police. Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut were reportedly among a group arrested in connection with a robbery at del Potro's home earlier this month. A third individual, Pablo Zuniga Cartes, who was wanted for athlete burglaries in the U.S., was also arrested, though not directly in relation to the del Potro case. The arrested men are currently in Chile, awaiting extradition proceedings requested by the U.S. authorities.

The FBI has indicated that these organized crime groups, originating from South America, meticulously utilized publicly available information and social media to monitor athletes' habits and travel schedules. Their sophisticated methods included employing technology to bypass alarm systems, disrupt wireless internet connections, disable security devices, cover security cameras, and effectively conceal their identities during the commission of these crimes. The stolen items from these residences, often taken while the athletes were out of town, included valuable jewelry, millions of dollars in cash, and even prestigious trophies and medals.

The severity of these organized burglaries prompted the NFL to issue a security alert to all teams and the players' union in 2024, following the incidents at the homes of Mahomes and Kelce. Further legal actions have been taken in the U.S.; in February 2025, seven Chilean citizens, including those recently arrested in Argentina, were charged in a federal court in Florida with conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Specific developments in these cases include Alexander Esteban Huaiquil Chavez, another man listed in the indictment, who pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property in a Tennessee federal court in March. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 11. Additionally, three other men named in the indictment – Sergio Andres Cabello, Bastian Alejandro Morales, and Jordan Francisco Sanchez – were arrested last year and charged with burglarizing Joe Burrow's home in Ohio on December 9, 2024. Their case remains pending in the Southern District of Ohio, with their next hearing set for July 8.