US Seeks Extradition of Two Chilean Men Charged in NFL Star Burglary Ring

Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have formally asked Argentina to extradite two Chilean nationals accused of running a burglary ring that targeted the homes of NFL stars while they were away playing road games, according to the New York Post, which reviewed the extradition request.

Ignacio Zúñiga Cartés, 21, and Bastián Jiménez Freraut, 28, face conspiracy charges in the US tied to break-ins at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, and NBA forward Bobby Portis, among other athletes, the Post reported.

Neither man has been convicted of anything in connection with the US charges. The extradition request is exactly that: a request. It is now in the hands of Argentine judge Sebastián Ramos, who will determine whether it satisfies Argentina's legal standards before any transfer takes place.

How they got caught

Zúñiga Cartés and Jiménez Freraut were arrested in Buenos Aires in May, months after the burglary spree, according to the Post. Argentine police tied them to a break-in at the home of retired tennis star Juan Martín del Potro, where jewelry, medals and rackets were stolen.

That arrest, unrelated on its face to American football, apparently gave US investigators the opening they needed. The FBI supplied an affidavit describing both men as members of a South American theft crew, which was forwarded to Argentine authorities along with the formal extradition request.

The underlying case

The criminal complaint against the two men, filed in January 2025, alleges the crew deliberately timed break-ins to coincide with athletes' road games between October and December 2024, according to the Post. The theory: rob the house while the star is out of town and can't interrupt the job.

Prosecutors allege the group stole at least $3 million total in cash, jewelry, watches and designer goods across the operation. Investigators say the burglary at Kelce's home included his jersey from his first Super Bowl win with the Chiefs. Mahomes' home was also ransacked the same weekend the Chiefs played the New Orleans Saints in 2024, a break-in that drew national headlines at the time given Mahomes' profile as the league's highest-paid player.

The case landed in Florida federal court because at least one burglary allegedly tied to the same crew happened in the Tampa Bay area in October 2024, hitting the home of a Buccaneers player, according to the Post's reporting. That gave prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida jurisdiction even though the group is accused of operating across multiple states.

The extradition paperwork was signed by Assistant US Attorney Daniel Baeza and Magistrate Judge Anthony E. Porcelli.

What the defense says

Florencia Barba, the Buenos Aires attorney representing both men, told the Post the extradition process has "officially begun" but stressed that her clients haven't been formally summoned by the Argentine judge yet.

"My defendants have the will to collaborate with the justice system, which does not imply an acknowledgement of any wrongdoing," Barba said. She added that she wants Argentine courts to verify the US request was made "according to law and due process" before any extradition happens.

That's a standard defense posture in extradition cases. Extradition treaties exist precisely so a receiving country's courts can check that the requesting country followed its own legal procedures. Barba isn't claiming her clients are innocent. She's asking Argentina to do its job before handing anyone over.

What's unresolved

No trial date exists because the men haven't been extradited yet. No plea has been entered in the US case. It's also unclear how many other members of the alleged theft ring remain uncharged or unidentified, since the Post's reporting describes this as part of a broader "international crime ring" that hit multiple athletes across several states over a three-month span in late 2024.

The next concrete step is procedural: Judge Ramos in Buenos Aires must rule on whether the US extradition request meets Argentina's legal threshold. There's no public timeline for that decision, and Argentine extradition proceedings involving foreign nationals have, in past cases, taken months to resolve.