Seven men have been charged in connection with a spree of burglaries targeting professional athletes across the United States. The thefts, which began in October 2024, involved goods worth over $2 million stolen from the homes of NBA and NFL players. Among the victims were Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, as well as players from the Milwaukee Bucks and Cincinnati Bengals.

According to a federal complaint unsealed on Tuesday, all seven men charged are Chilean nationals. They are alleged to be members of a South American theft group that specifically targeted high-profile athletes. The group, aged between 23 and 38, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Four of the defendants have already pleaded not guilty to initial charges in Ohio.

The federal complaint reveals that the Kansas City homes of two Chiefs players were burgled in October. Kelce's home was robbed on October 7 as he was playing a game against the New Orleans Saints, with $20,000 in cash stolen from his $6 million home. Mahomes's residence was burgled on October 5. The group is also accused of burgling the home of a Milwaukee Bucks basketball player in November, where a safe containing watches, chains, jewelry, and cash was stolen, along with designer luggage valued at over $1.5 million.

Security experts have noted that professional athletes are easy targets due to their valuable belongings and public schedules. The NFL has been warning players about such crimes, issuing a memo last year about 'organized and skilled groups' tracking players' whereabouts on social media and through public records. This issue is not confined to the US; in the UK, Premier League footballers have also been targeted in recent years.