The FBI has been investigating some recent home burglaries such as the ones where NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were the victims, and it is believed that there is an international organized crime syndicate behind this.
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On Wednesday, the NFL had issued a security alert to security directors and the players' union, which highlighted the fact that a South American crime organization is most likely to blame for the athletes getting robbed.
The NFL issued a security alert Wednesday about organized and skilled criminals -- believed to be tied to a South American crime syndicate -- who are targeting pro athletes, including recent burglaries at the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.https://t.co/Fr2QA7kdf8
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 21, 2024
To point out, there was another NFL player, former Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph, who had their Minnesota house broken into this past week.
"It's legit," said one source. "It's a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they've focused on NBA and NFL players, and it's all over the country."
The NFL issued this security alert to clubs to tell their players and staff about “organized and skilled” criminals increasingly targeting professional athletes' homes. pic.twitter.com/EoArE8dTw0
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 21, 2024
With this in mind, it is believed the perpetrators are non confrontational and only burglarize the homes when the players are not inside.
By using public records to find players' addresses, the criminals first conduct extensive surveillance, then track team schedules and social media accounts of a player and their family to see when the house will be empty.
Notably, this often means they try to rob when a player is in the middle of a game, as happened with Kelce, who was going up against the Saints on Monday Night Football when his $6 million dollar residence in Leawood, Kansas was broken into and $20k got stolen.
Ultimately the thieves are looking to target famous athletes' homes, so they can find high-value items such as jewelry, watches and handbags, and cash.
According to NFL network insider Tom Pelissero, the NFL gave the following instructions regarding safety measures, "not posting in real time on social media, installing security systems and keeping valuables out of plain sight."
Nevertheless, the burglars will always have access to the NFL teams' schedules, so some players may hire security on the property.
