Crew of Chilean thieves who targeted elite American athletes’ homes — including Travis Kelce’s — arrested

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Two Chilean men part of a crew arrested for burglarizing the home of former Argentine tennis champion Juan Martín Del Potro earlier this month were also wanted by Interpol for a series of robberies targeting top US athletes between 2024-2025.

Ignacio Zuñiga Cartes and Bastián Jiménez Freraut, both 23, were arrested earlier this month for stealing jewelry, medals and rackets from the 2009 US Open champ’s home in Tandil.

A photo from an FBI affidavit shows, from left, Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, along with an unidentified person whose face is redacted. Justice Department
Two Chilean men were arrested for the robberies. clarin.com

Investigators uncovered the identities of the accused burglars through a traffic ticket that was issued in Buenos Aires a day before the robbery, according to a report in Argentine newspaper Clarín.

They discovered that Cartes and Freraut were part of a South American crime ring that stole from the homes of high-profile US athletes including NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, NBA player Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs athlete Travis Kelce, fiancé of pop megastar Taylor Swift.

NFL tight end Travis Kelce’s home was broken in to. NBAE via Getty Images
Investigators discovered the crew’s names through a traffic ticket. clarin.com
Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina greets the fans part of a farewell game between Juan Martin Del Potro and Novak Djokovic at Mary Teran Weiss Stadium on December 1, 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Getty Images

The thieves, who traveled to the US for the crimes, timed their burglaries to coincide with the athletes’ away games, and stole watches, cash, jewelry and other luxury items after breaking into their homes totaling over $3.5 million, according to the Justice Department.

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