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.
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.
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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