Argentina's Federal Courts authorized the extradition to the United States of Bastián Jiménez Freraut and Ignacio Zúñiga Cartés, two Chilean citizens accused of belonging to an organization dedicated to burglarizing the homes of well-known athletes, including Travis Kelce, the American football player and husband of singer Taylor Swift. The ruling was issued by federal judge Sebastián Ramos, who granted the request submitted by US authorities. Both defendants have been detained since May at the Marcos Paz prison in Argentina, where they are also being investigated for a burglary at the home of former tennis player Juan Martín del Potro. The decision was confirmed to Infobae by Florencia Barba, the Chilean citizens' lawyer, who said she will appeal once the grounds for the ruling are made known, with publication expected next week. The court had previously accepted the documentation sent by the US Department of Justice, which includes a 116-page sworn statement transmitted through the Argentine Foreign Ministry.
The attributed burglaries
The US investigation indicates that, between October 2024 and mid-2025, Jiménez and Zúñiga would have belonged to an organization along with other Chilean citizens, dedicated to stealing jewelry, watches, money and other luxury items from the homes of sports figures. The US Prosecutor's Office identified the organization as a "South American theft group," which allegedly targeted "high-profile athletes from the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA)." Among the cases under investigation are the burglaries at the homes of Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, both Kansas City Chiefs players, which occurred on October 6 and 7, 2024, while the athletes were out of town. According to the investigation's records, the thieves allegedly stole about $11,000 in items, including a Kelce jersey. They are also linked to the theft of approximately $300,000 in luxury items from the Ohio home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Among the figures mentioned in the records is also actress Nicole Kidman, whose home was allegedly burglarized. However, it was not detailed what items would have been stolen.
One of the elements supporting the investigation is the analysis of the defendants' iCloud accounts, where investigators found photographs showing them displaying objects that could be part of the loot. According to police records, the images included watches, jewelry, luxury handbags and cash, as well as records from one of the affected properties.
Del Potro burglary could delay the extradition
Despite the judicial authorization, the transfer of the Chileans to the United States would not take place immediately, due to an investigation they face in Argentina. The defendants are linked to a burglary that occurred on May 15 of this year at the home of Juan Martín del Potro in Tandil, Buenos Aires province. In that incident, the perpetrators allegedly stole jewelry, rackets, trophies and a wedding ring belonging to the former tennis player's mother. Ten days later, on May 25, Jiménez and Zúñiga were detained by Interpol agents of the Argentine Federal Police as they attempted to board a bus bound for Misiones from the Retiro terminal in Buenos Aires. Both used their own identity documents, even though active Interpol red notices were in effect against them. Argentine authorities are also investigating whether they had entered the country irregularly.
The case over the Del Potro burglary is being handled by prosecutor Marcos Egusquiza and could delay the extradition, since the Argentine judicial process remains pending. The defense will seek to have that investigation resolved first before any transfer to the United States takes place, in addition to filing an appeal against the extradition authorization. For now, Jiménez and Zúñiga will remain detained in Argentina while the course of both judicial proceedings is determined.