Three men are in custody in Argentina after investigators say they are tied to a South American burglary crew that targeted the homes of high profile U.S. athletes, including Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Argentine and Chilean authorities say the arrests grew out of a probe into a break in at former tennis champion Juan Martín Del Potro’s home, which they say produced evidence linking the group to earlier thefts across the United States. The captures have pushed a federal investigation back into the spotlight, after U.S. prosecutors charged seven suspects last year.
Arrests came after Del Potro investigation
According to Argentine federal police and Chilean officials, two of the suspects were picked up at Buenos Aires’ Retiro bus terminal, with a third arrested in a follow up operation. Chile’s Interpol office described the trio in a video as fugitives wanted by U.S. authorities. Chilean officials said U.S. investigators had already requested arrest warrants with an eye toward extradition, according to CBS News. Police in both countries say at least some of the men are also suspected in the May break in at Del Potro’s home, which they credit with helping them put names to suspects.
Federal complaint ties suspects to U.S. thefts
A criminal complaint unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida identifies Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut among seven people accused of conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines. The affidavit describes incriminating iCloud photos, timestamped minutes after a November 2, 2024 burglary, that show suspects posing with a damaged safe and high value watches. It also spells out the travel records, vehicle data and digital forensics that investigators say they used to track the group’s movements. Read the filing from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for details.
What investigators say was taken
Local and federal filings say the November break in at Portis’s River Hills home netted watches, chains, cash, designer luggage and Portis’s 2021 championship ring, with investigators putting the total haul at roughly $1.484 million. The home of Joe Burrow was burglarized in December 2024, with about $300,000 in luggage, watches and jewelry reported missing, according to reporting and court records. A photo reproduced in filings appears to show three of the suspects posing with a safe and what investigators allege are many of the stolen items. Prosecutors say those images helped link the men to U.S. thefts, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
How investigators say the ring worked
Court documents outline a familiar playbook. Crews allegedly rented vehicles in Florida, used fraudulent identifications and short term rentals as temporary bases, then hit properties while players were out of town, sometimes checking social media to confirm that targets were on the road. Investigators say the suspects took and later posted photos of stolen goods, and that they reconstructed the crew’s movements using cellphone data and cloud accounts. Those operational details appear in the complaint materials released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and in national reporting on the case.
Extradition and legal next steps
Officials in Chile and Argentina say the three men arrested there will now move through local courts as authorities weigh extradition to the United States. Federal charges were filed in February 2025 against seven people alleged to be part of the theft network, and U.S. prosecutors have accused them of conspiracy to transport stolen property, a federal crime that carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. According to CBS News and court filings, the investigation remains active as authorities work to track down remaining defendants and process those already in custody for possible handover to U.S. officials.
Leagues and players respond
The wave of burglaries prompted the FBI to warn leagues and teams about so called “crime tourism” from abroad, and led the NFL last season to advise players to avoid posting live location updates, according to reporting on the investigation. Teams and private security staffs have since ramped up briefings and tightened reviews of player homes, hoping to make it harder for traveling crews to treat game days like an opportunity. Investigators say the recent arrests could help them recover stolen items and close open cases tied to other cities. For background on how the investigation connects to burglaries in Kansas City and elsewhere, see coverage from the Kansas City Star.
