KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The FBI reportedly has been working with law enforcement agencies in Kansas City investigating burglaries last month at the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

NBC News said the FBI is trying to determine if those home break-ins, along with two incidents involving NBA players, “are connected to a transnational crime ring such as one from South America.”

Incidents involving Kelce and Mahomes caught the NFL’s attention.

The NFL issued an alert to “team security directors and the players’ union Wednesday about organized and skilled criminals that are increasingly targeting the homes of professional athletes,” the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday on the league’s website.

That includes the burglaries at the residences of Mahomes and Kelce. The burglary at Mahomes’ Loch Lloyd house took place shortly after midnight on Oct. 6. Kelce’s home was burglarized the following night while the Chiefs were playing the Saints on “Monday Night Football.”

Thieves took $20,000 in cash from Kelce’s home, Leawood police said.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press said the home of Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Linval Joseph was part of four burglaries in the St. Paul suburbs. Joseph is a former Vikings player.

West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon told the Pioneer Press thieves have used “sophisticated techniques” to determine when people leave their homes and where security cameras are located around a house. Some of the break-ins have taken place through second-story windows because they don’t have sensors.

There are 60 other cases in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, along with more nationally, the Pioneer Press said.

Timberwolves guard Mike Conley’s house in Medina, Minn., was burglarized while he was at a Vikings game in September. Bucks forward Bobby Portis shared a post on X saying there was a break-in at his home earlier this month in River Hills, Wis.

Medina police told NBC News: “We are aware of some of the other athletes in different states that have had their homes burglarized. Our investigator is working with those agencies and other state and federal partners. We can’t say for sure that they are all related.”

The NFL apparently believes there is a connection.

“The league, the NFL Players Association and team security forces also have been monitoring the crime spree, which is believed to be tied to a South American crime syndicate,” Pelissero wrote.

A source was quoted in that story as saying: “It’s legit. 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.”

Why the homes of NFL players?

Brad Garrett, a former FBI agent who works for ABC News, explained why pro athletes could be targeted by criminals.

“Their schedules were going to be published when they’re going to play a game, so it makes it easy when to go to the house,” Garrett said in an ABC video. “These high-profile folks are really ripe targets.”

Mahomes talked about the burglary at his home last week at news conference at the Chiefs’ facility.

“I can’t get into too many of the details because the investigation is still ongoing, but it’s obviously something you don’t want to happen — to really anybody, but obviously yourself,” Mahomes said.

Kelce hasn’t spoken publicly about the burglary at his home.

Leawood police declined to comment on its investigation.

“Our agency follows up on all investigative leads and works closely with victims to solve open cases,” the department said in a statement provided to The Kansas City Star. “The Leawood Police Department is dedicated to the public we serve and will work tirelessly to ensure the City of Leawood remains one of the safest cities in the State of Kansas.”

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The Kansas City Star’s PJ Green contributed to this story.

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