Chilean Burglary Ring Targeting Athletes Exposed by Selfie Evidence

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — In a striking twist to a series of high-profile burglaries involving professional athletes, investigators have uncovered key evidence from a selfie taken by the suspects. The selfie is allegedly connected to a group of Chilean men accused of stealing nearly $3 million in luxury items from athletes’ homes, including Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

According to the federal indictment filed against the seven suspects, authorities used a combination of cell phone records, GPS tracking, and iCloud data to link the men to these elaborate heists. The burglaries garnered national attention after incidents at the homes of NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce during the 2024 football season.

The suspects’ method involved waiting until players were away at games, allowing them to break into the homes undetected. An FBI special agent noted that they often employed a crowbar to gain entry and had a pattern of stealing watches, jewelry, and other valuables. In one alarming incident, a safe containing items valued at over $1.4 million was reported stolen from Portis’ residence.

The selfie in question was reportedly taken just minutes after the burglary at Portis’ home. Images revealed the suspects posing with stolen watches and a damaged safe, linking them directly to the crime scene. The FBI agent described the photo evidence in the affidavit, highlighting that the suspects took these pictures as they boasted about their illicit gains.

Further investigations revealed that the suspects frequently used ‘throw phones’—temporary devices used to avoid detection—before switching them up to obscure their movements. Despite the national focus on the burglaries, the ring was able to carry out multiple thefts before law enforcement made breakthroughs in their case.

On February 5, Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, Bastian Orellano Morales, and Sergio Ortega Cabello were indicted on felony charges related to the burglary of Burrow’s home. Following their arrest, the Department of Justice unsealed another indictment in Florida against the remaining suspects, including Pablo Zuniga Cartes and Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, for conspiracy to transport stolen goods across state lines.

“Our investigation remains ongoing as these individuals seem to be the alleged tip of the iceberg of South American theft groups committing crimes throughout our district and elsewhere,” said a federal agent in response to the indictments.

Joe Burrow, reflecting on the impact of the break-in after the news of the indictments, expressed the challenges of living a public life. “We live a public life and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy, and that has been difficult to deal with my entire career,” Burrow said. “I’m still learning, but I understand it’s the life that we choose. It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”