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Federal prosecutors have charged seven Chilean citizens in connection with a nationwide burglary spree targeting the homes of professional athletes. The suspects are part of a sophisticated theft ring focused on cash and items that can be resold on the black market.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday, the gang took advantage of publicly available sports schedules to make sure their victims were not at home during the break-ins.
From Oct. 5 to Dec. 20, 2024, the seven men allegedly stole more than $2 million worth of watches, jewelry, cash, and other valuables, including cracking a safe during one of the burglaries, FBI investigators said in the complaint.
Among the victims were players for NFL teams Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Kansas City Chiefs. While the complaint does not name specific athletes, the latter cases appear to align with reported burglaries at the homes of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Mahomes had his Belton, Mo., mansion robbed just after midnight on Oct. 6. and Kelce’s home was also broken into in the Kansas City area on Oct. 7, according to Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
Another break-in that took place in Wisconsin on Nov. 2, 2024, appears to match details of one at the home of Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis. Court filings state that nearly $1.5 million in property was stolen from the NBA star while he was in a match against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the complaint, filed Jan. 30 in a Florida federal court, describes how the burglars approached homes under the cover of darkness, often using wooded or secluded areas to avoid detection before breaking in. The suspects also took photos of themselves with stolen goods.
One such image included in the document shows four suspects posing next to a safe containing watches, chains, jewelry, and cash, allegedly stolen from Bobby Portis’s home. One of the men can be seen wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt, which investigators believe to be related to their previous crimes.
According to Reuters, investigators used cell phone data from burglary locations to identify individuals present at multiple crime scenes. Some of the suspects were arrested in January in Ohio, following a traffic stop connected to the break-in at Joe Burrow’s home.
The FBI has identified these criminal enterprises as part of a broader pattern of organized theft groups targeting high-value properties. The seven men are linked to so-called South American Theft Groups (SATG), which are described as “well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.”
Previous FBI investigations indicated that SATG thieves also prey on jewelry salespeople transporting inventory. The criminals often operate as “burglary tourists,” targeting homes of the rich and famous while utilizing “fences,” or individuals or businesses that knowingly purchase and resell stolen goods—to liquidate their loot, sometimes sending items to Chile.
The suspects—Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, and Sergio Ortega Cabello—have been charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. If convicted, they each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI identified all seven individuals as citizens of Chile, but did not specify their immigration status in court filings.
By Bill Pan | The Epoch Times
