The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced charges against seven Chilean nationals on Tuesday following a string of burglaries targeting “high-profile athletes” in the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Chilean nationals are reportedly illegal immigrants.
In a Tuesday press release, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida shared that an unsealed criminal complaint against the seven Chilean nationals claimed that they were part of the South American Theft Group (SATG) and that the group had “burglarized the homes of professional athletes around the country.”
The press release noted that the suspects, who have been reported as illegal immigrants by The New York Post, targeted “high-profile athletes” and that the athletes were all “away” or were “playing in professional games at the times of the burglaries.” The suspects have been accused of stealing over $2 million in goods.
The criminal complaint against the suspects noted, “In many circumstances, professional sports teams will publicize their schedules and locations of their games, making it easy for the SATG to know when a particular athlete on a particular professional sports team will be away from his residence.”
The seven suspects were identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida as 20-year-old Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 22-year-old Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, 23-year-old Bastian Orellano Morales, 24-year-old Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24-year-old Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, 27-year-old Bastian Jimenez Freraut, and 38-year-old Sergio Ortega Cabello.
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Tuesday’s press release said the suspects have been charged with “conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property” and that the seven suspects could face up to 10 years in federal prison if they are convicted.
The criminal complaint accused the suspects of burglarizing the homes of two Kansas City Chiefs players in October of 2024. According to Fox News, a previous report noted that the homes of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had been burglarized in October.
A picture of some of the migrants shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows the suspects posing alongside the stolen goods. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida noted that the picture was taken shortly after the Chilean nationals burglarized the home a Milwaukee Bucks player last November in Wisconsin. The press release also said roughly $1.484 million in goods were stolen from the athlete.
Another picture shared by The New York Post shows some of the suspects posing with the stolen goods of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Tuesday’s press release confirmed that the suspects burglarized the home of a Cincinnati Bengals player in December, stealing roughly $300,000 in goods.
