Chile burglars linked to Kelce mansion arrested

Authorities in Argentina have arrested two Chilean men, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, connected to a larger US Justice Department-linked burglary spree targeting American star athletes, including Travis Kelce.

For days, the athletes’ homes were quiet. Then the visits came—timed to the moment players left for away games. Now, two men tied to that pattern have been arrested in Argentina, pulling a new thread through a case that stretches across borders and high-profile sport.

Authorities in Argentina have arrested Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut. who were previously charged by the US Justice Department in connection with burglaries of a number of American athletes. The arrests were made as part of a bigger group accused of breaking into the home of Argentine tennis legend Juan Martin Del Potro.

Cartes and Freraut were booked earlier this month for stealing jewelry, medals and rackets from Del Potro’s home in Tandil. Investigators traced the pair through a traffic ticket issued in Buenos Aires the day before Del Potro’s home was robbed, with the ticket used to identify the accused.

The wider allegations point to a South American crime ring that struck multiple athletes’ properties. The group is believed to have targeted Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, as well as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and NBA player Bobby Portis.

Investigators say the timing was deliberate: the burglars coordinated their hits to coincide with the stars’ away games. Homes were broken into and ransacked with watches. cash. jewelry and other luxury goods taken. with the Justice Department stating the total value exceeded $3.5million. The targets were hit on days when the stars were away from home.

Mahomes and Kelce’s houses, prosecutors say, were hit on back-to-back days while they were on the road playing the New Orleans Saints. Burrow’s home was robbed while he was in Dallas, and Portis’ home was burglarized while he was returning from a home game in Milwaukee.

Del Potro’s case began when his mother contacted authorities after arriving at his home on May 15 while her son was away. Police said they retrieved video showing a five-man crew traveling in a Chevrolet Astra near the crime scene. and Cartes was identified as the driver. A speeding ticket played a key role in tracking those involved.

All five accused men were being held in Tandil while interrogations continued, and authorities said overseas investigators were working with the Argentine government regarding the 2024-25 robberies.

DNA evidence also tightened the net. Police said investigators found that DNA taken from Freraut—who had a cut when he was detained—matched DNA taken from the robbed homes of the American athletes.

Investigators described a similar method across the alleged burglaries: the men would travel to the players’ home cities, rent a car and a hotel, then wait for the athletes to leave for games before breaking and entering.

What began with a tennis star’s mother calling police on May 15 has now widened into a cross-border chase involving multiple leagues and some of the biggest names in American sport—one where the timing of absences appears to have been the blueprint.

Travis Kelce Patrick Mahomes Joe Burrow Bobby Portis Juan Martin Del Potro Ignacio Zuniga Cartes Bastian Jimenez Freraut burglary Argentina Chilean thieves US Justice Department