Last week, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and teammate Patrick Mahomes were the victims of home burglaries. But in a disturbing twist, it sounds like the break-ins were not done by any old run-of-the-mill criminal.
According to a report by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the league issued a security alert on Wednesday to teams and the players’ union, warning of organized and highly skilled criminals specifically targeting professional athletes.
Pelissero reported that the FBI is currently investigating this crime wave as part of international organized crime that is believed to be connected to a South American crime syndicate.
“It’s legit,” a source close to the situation told Pelissero. “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.”
Pelissero gave some details about how the group operates and pulls off their burglaries.
“Multiple people with knowledge of the crimes said the perpetrators are nonconfrontational and do not burglarize homes while residents are inside. Instead, they use public records to find players’ addresses and conduct extensive surveillance,” Pelissero wrote. “Then, by tracking team schedules and the social media accounts of players and their families, they wait until homes are empty — often during games — and gain access and quickly steal items such as cash, jewelry, watches, and handbags, focusing mainly on master bedrooms and closets.”
Needless to say, it’s pretty disturbing to think that Kelce was targeted by a highly-sophisticated South American crime croup, and this news led to a lot of reactions on social media.
“We need to focus on protecting our cities, streets, and homes. We need more law enforcement and a national commitment to fight and be tougher on criminals,” one fan wrote on X.
“Not the news I thought I’d be reading this morning,” another fan added.
“Players, their wives/girlfriends and family members, have to stop posting their every move. It’s a legit security risk! It’s the sad reality of today,” another fan wrote.
“Truly insane to think about. Very glad that no one was hurt,” another person added.
“Well that is frightening,” someone else wrote.
“This is a big concern,” another fan added.
The investigation remains ongoing, and professional athletes across the country are likely to remain on high alert.
[NFL.com]
