Seven Chilean nationals accused of breaking into the residences of Mahomes, Burrow, and other prominent sports figures

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A group of seven individuals from Chile has been indicted in a federal court in Florida for allegedly masterminding a series of burglaries targeting the residences of well-known professional athletes throughout the United States, as detailed in a recent criminal complaint.

While the complaint does not specify the names of all the athletes involved, it does reference burglaries that have been publicly associated with players such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, and various athletes from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and teams in the NBA, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies.

The criminal complaint indicates that the accused are part of a burglary operation that specifically seeks out high-profile athletes when they are confirmed to be away from their homes. It is reported that the group managed to steal approximately $2 million worth of items, including luxury watches, jewelry, cash, and other valuables, as well as a safe that they were able to compromise.

Each of the defendants faces charges for conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines, which carries a potential maximum sentence of ten years in prison. As of Wednesday, it remains unclear whether the defendants are currently in custody, and the federal court records from Tampa do not indicate that they have legal representation.

The individuals charged include Pablo Zuniga Cartes, age 24; Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, age 20; Bastian Jimenez Freraut, age 27; Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, age 22; Bastian Orellano Morales, age 23; Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, age 24; and Sergio Ortega Cabello, age 38. The FBI has identified them as Chileans in the documents, but it does not clarify their immigration status in the United States.

Several members of the group were reportedly apprehended in January following a traffic stop in Ohio, where they faced state charges related to the alleged burglary of Burrow’s home. The federal charges were officially filed in Tampa on January 30.

The evidence presented in the complaint largely relies on data from mobile phones, surveillance footage, and license plate recognition technology that purportedly places the suspects at the scenes of the crimes. According to the FBI, the burglars employed relatively simple methods for entry, such as breaking windows or forcing sliding doors open with crowbars.

Detailing their methods, FBI officials noted that the burglars often approach homes from concealed areas like thick brush or poorly lit locations before executing their break-ins. One unnamed player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly had approximately $167,000 worth of belongings stolen, which included a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton suitcase, jewelry, and a firearm.

Interestingly, the group documented their criminal activities by taking photographs with some of the stolen items, which has been included in the FBI’s complaint. In at least one instance, a suspect can be seen wearing a Kansas City Chiefs shirt. The burglars tended to divide into smaller teams to carry out multiple break-ins in succession.

The FBI’s affidavit underscores that while these small teams might seem independent, they frequently collaborate, maintain communication, and utilize the same buyers for the stolen property, indicating a more organized and coordinated effort amongst them.