Three men allegedly tied to a sophisticated burglary ring connected to break-ins at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have reportedly been arrested in Argentina. The suspects, all Chilean nationals, are accused of being part of a larger operation that targeted high-profile athletes across the United States.

The homes of Mahomes and Kelce were burglarized in early October 2024, with thieves making off with jewelry, luxury watches, cash, and several other expensive belongings. The incidents sparked major attention at the time, not only because of the players involved but also due to the growing concern around organized groups targeting celebrity athletes.

“These individuals will face justice in the United States or Argentina,” Enrique Gutierrez, the Commissioner of Chilean Interpol, said in a video by AFP News. “They had no significant criminal record in Chile, having specialised in robberies outside our borders.” 

Joe Burrow was also among the athletes allegedly targeted by the burglary ring, according to federal prosecutors.

Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and Pablo Zuniga Cartes were apprehended by Argentine authorities, ABC News reported. However, it wasn’t a three-man gang. The three are a part of the seven defendants who were charged in a federal complaint in 2025. According to the complaint, they were conspiring for interstate transportation of the stolen goods after targeting professional NBA and NFL athletes around the country. And the goods amounted to more than $2 million. 

The federal complaint also had a picture of the three apprehended culprits along with a fourth unidentified man posing beside a broken safe and stolen jewelry. That safe belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis. And the photograph dates back to November 2024. The thieves broke open the safe and brought out several luxury watches, chains, jewelry, and of course, some cash. 

According to another complaint from October 2024, the thieves broke into a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player’s home during their game against the Baltimore Ravens. And the stolen goods amounted to $167,000. That same group, later in December 2024, targeted a Memphis Grizzlies’ player’s home while the player was away for a game. 

As per that complaint, the perpetrators had a “clear and consistent modus operandi.” Their operations began with target identification. And that was based mostly on publicly available information around their schedules and locations. When the players were away from their homes, the burglars would break in through a window or pry the doors open using a crowbar. The officials also found out that the group rented cars in Florida, which were found in the burglary locality. 

In the past couple of years, as the officials investigated the theft around Mahomes’ and Kelce’s houses, they concluded that the robberies were pretty sophisticated. Mike Barbieri, a security expert, claimed that such cases often involve people in the construction or service work for the targeted houses. 

What did the burglars steal from Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ homes?

The burglars broke into the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end’s Leawood mansion from the back door while he was away for a Monday Night Football match. As per the Daily Mail, Kelce lost about $20,000 in cash and $100,000 worth of jewelry. They also took his first Super Bowl jersey. With the right buyer, that might fetch them quite a bit of money. 

Meanwhile, Mahomes hasn’t released the itemized list to the public. But he did lose memorabilia like jerseys, trophies, and medals. And the Chiefs quarterback was certainly frustrated with the theft. 

“It’s frustrating; it’s disappointing,” Mahomes said after the burglary. “I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is ongoing. But obviously it’s something you don’t want to happen to anybody, obviously yourself.” 

Of course, Mahomes and Kelce hardly sweat the financial or materialistic loss. What mattered to them was the loss of the sense of security in their own homes. Now, the Chiefs and every other victim of the Chilean group can breathe a sigh of relief.