Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves, known for his roles in movies like The Matrix and John Wick, had his Los Angeles mansion broken into and robbed in 2023. Now, after a year has passed, including a $9,000 Rolex diving watch among six other luxury timepieces, they have miraculously been recovered in Chile. Chilean authorities announced on Tuesday (July 29) that the stolen watches will be transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to be returned to their rightful owner.
According to the Chilean prosecution, the watches stolen from Reeves’ Hollywood Hills estate were found by the police in Santiago, the capital of Chile. The owner has confirmed that these watches were taken during a series of burglaries at his residence in December 2023. The six watches have been sent to the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, with the FBI tasked to return the stolen timepieces to Reeves.
Marcelo Varas, an officer with the Chilean Robbery Investigation Unit, stated that Reeves’ six watches have a total value of $125,000. The Chilean police conducted raids on several suspected residences, seizing multiple getaway vehicles, iPhones, luxury watches, and designer handbags.
During a visit to Chile to discuss transnational crime issues, the Chilean authorities concurrently announced the return of Keanu Reeves’ watches, in the presence of Kristi Noem, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
Noem herself was a victim of theft in April last year when her handbag was stolen by an undocumented Chilean man in a restaurant in Washington, making her a victim of theft as well.
This operation was conducted in collaboration with the FBI’s joint investigation, targeting South American criminal groups involved in burglaries of high-end American homes. These targeted properties belong to well-known celebrities and professional athletes, including the residence of Travis Kelce, a player for the Kansas City Chiefs football team.
In April this year, Chilean authorities announced the arrest of 23 individuals suspected of being involved in home burglaries in the United States.
(The article referenced reporting from the Associated Press)