How watches stolen from Keanu Reeves in Los Angeles ended up in the hands of a gang in Chile

CNN

10 hours ago

Six watches that had been stolen from actor Keanu Reeves in Los Angeles were handed over to the FBI this week at the US Embassy in Santiago, Chile, nearly 9,000 kilometers away, to be returned to their owner.
The discovery of the luxury watches 'was circumstantial,' the embassy said, as it occurred during a broader police investigation into home burglaries in the eastern part of the Chilean capital. Authorities were targeting a criminal group, not imagining its ramifications would extend to Hollywood.
'In 2023, this gang was committing robbery offenses. Once they were fenced in and (the case) became widely reported due to the violence they used, some of these individuals migrated and began committing crimes abroad using the same modus operandi,' Deputy Prefect Marcelo Varas, head of the Robbery and Criminal Intervention Investigation Brigade of the Chilean Investigative Police, told CNN. Varas explained that the gang sought to break into empty homes, but if they encountered someone, they would act violently.
During the operations and raids, investigators located one of the suspects in a house in the commune of Peñalolén, where they found valuable items, including watches, one of which bore an inscription.
'One of the detectives, who liked the John Wick film series, managed to recognize the item,' Varas said. 'He had read the story about the (stunt) doubles, each of whom had been given a watch. We tracked them down and actually made a match,' he added.
In 2021, Reeves gifted Rolex Submariners to the stunt crew he worked with on 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' Each one had his name on the back with the caption, 'Thank you, JW4, 2021, The John Wick Five.'
Prosecutor Claudia Barraza said at the embassy handover ceremony there was no evidence that the criminal group that broke into Reeves' home was the same one that brought the watches to Chile.
But Varas pointed out that authorities had also seized a cell phone used by the individual who allegedly committed the robbery. On that device, they found photos taken in the United States showing the watch in question, a gun, and the actor's driver's license, leading investigators to believe the pictures were taken at Reeves' home.
Varas explained that, due to legal issues, they had to wait for the actor to confirm that they were his belongings, and said he recognized them from photos at a Los Angeles police station.
In the John Wick saga, ironically, Reeves plays a former hitman seeking revenge after his home was burglarized (and his dog killed). But the 2023 incident isn't the only break-in the movie star has experienced. In 2014, months before the release of the first film in the series, the Los Angeles Police reported two break-ins at his home in a span of three days, although no burglaries were reported during those incidents.
In the 2023 robbery, Reeves' losses are believed to have amounted to $7 million, according to Hugo Haeger, deputy director of Police and Criminal Investigation in Chile.
CNN has reached out to the FBI for more information on the case.
Varas says there's 'always' coordination with other countries' security agencies, which includes the exchange of intelligence information.
One aspect of the investigation is determining how the stolen items entered Chile. The deputy prefect indicated that gangs most commonly use parcel systems or send items through tourists with no criminal record. Thus, the watch could easily have passed through airport security on the wrist of a traveler who didn't raise suspicions.
'Watches are a prized possession; there are people who dedicate themselves to collecting them. If it's a brand, or a piece valued for being unique, or a famous actor's, they want it even more,' Varas said. In the case of Reeves' Rolex Submariner, the model is offered for more than $10,000 in official stores, but on the black market and with the actor's name on it, it could be worth much more.
The fates of the other suspected gang members vary. The brother of the alleged perpetrator of the Los Angeles robbery has been convicted of robbery with intimidation and customs fraud. Another suspect, Varas notes, died in a confrontation between criminal gangs. The investigator also said that, while one traveled to the US and continued committing crimes, another traveled to Argentina, where he was arrested for home robberies in Buenos Aires.
'Unfortunately, we export this type of crime, but we also provide' information to the law enforcement agencies, Varas said.
In December, following home burglaries in wealthy areas of Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff Mike Bouchard told Fox 2 that 'extremely well-trained' Chileans were to blame. He demanded an end to Chile's participation in the Visa Waiver program, which allows its citizens to enter the US without a visa for travel of up to 90 days for tourism or business. His comments caused an uproar in the South American country.
During a recent visit to Chile, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a letter of intent to expand a Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert program with Chile, arguing that is necessary for tracking criminals. Regarding visas, she said, 'Chile's continued collaboration with our visa waiver program is invaluable to our country, and we appreciate their partnership in that regard.'
Meanwhile, the deputy legal attaché at the US Embassy, Blaine Freestone, who will be responsible for personally presenting the watches to Reeves, emphasized that 'thanks to the ongoing cooperation with Chilean authorities, justice is being delivered to victims of transnational crimes.'
Varas asserted that the Visa Waiver program generates ongoing cooperation from law enforcement agencies. 'They need our information,' he said.
CNN's Michael Rios contributed to this report.