The leading professional sports leagues in North America have alerted their players about the rising danger posed by sophisticated organized criminals specializing in high-tech thefts, including the targeting of passports, innovative technology, and the use of 90-day visitor timelines.
A recent memo from the NBA, referencing intelligence from the FBI, connects these crimes to a “transnational South American theft ring” that zeroes in on “professional athletes and high-net-worth individuals.” These criminal groups employ advanced tactics such as enhanced surveillance, drones, signal jamming, and other state-of-the-art technologies. Similarly, the NFL has stressed the threat from a “well-organized and skilled” group of robbers that concentrates on affluent athletes.
While the memo refrains from disclosing specific victims, it mentions incidents involving athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Bobby Portis from the Milwaukee Bucks. These warnings were prompted by a recent crime spree, with the methods utilized closely mirroring a spate of burglaries targeting wealthy residents in Southern California.
Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and Orange County report an alarming increase in incursions by what they call “robber travelers.” These criminals, who hail from Central and South America, enter the U.S. legally with 90-day tourist visas via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Instead of vacations, however, these individuals are reportedly equipped with disguises, recording devices, trail cameras, and Wi-Fi jammers as they target affluent neighborhoods and gated communities while successfully eluding authorities.
These “traveler robbers” have been operating for a minimum of five years, though their activities have escalated in light of the growing availability of personal information, such as addresses and property images.
“While a multinational gang may lack complete knowledge about the residences they target,” Los Angeles Police Chief of Detectives Alan Hamilton noted in a recent NBC interview, “there’s always a chance that they are monitoring the athletes’ social media and tracking their movements.”
In September, Minnesota Timberwolves player Mike Conley’s residence was also burglarized while he was watching an NFL game, as reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
On November 3, Portis shared on Instagram that “valuable items” were stolen from his home while he played in a game the day prior.
In October, both Mahomes and Kelce’s home were broken into just hours apart, leading to a theft of $20,000 in cash from Mahomes’s place and $1,000 worth of damages at Kelce’s residence, based on a police report acquired by Kansas City’s NBC affiliate KSHB.
Mahomes expressed his frustration over the incident, calling it “disappointing.”
This troubling trend extends to other metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Houston, and Dallas.
According to Hamilton, “Law enforcement has long been aware that this crime pattern is prevalent throughout the Midwest.” These cities are not exempt from such risks.
Global law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been monitoring these criminal networks for years, and individuals associated with South American gangs have surfaced in nearly every state, Hamilton highlighted.
“This technology is certainly on par with military-grade,” remarked Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a summer NBC interview. “Those arrested in Orange County often have criminal backgrounds traced back to Chile.”
If law enforcement in Southern California succeeds in curbing these crimes, it is likely that these operations will transition to other regions.
Both the NBA and NFL have advised their players to take precautionary measures, which include activating alarm systems, utilizing surveillance cameras, keeping valuables in safes, and being cautious about what they share on social media.
The NBA memo, obtained by NBC News, highlighted that “in a majority of the reported incidents, FBI investigations revealed that alarm systems were in place but not functioning.” Furthermore, all burglarized homes were unoccupied, and often, there were no dogs present on the premises.
