Keanu Reeves writes heartfelt thanks to agents after his 'John Wick' Rolex watch is recovered in Chile

When thieves interruption into John Wick’s home, mayhem and retribution ensue. But thefts from the location of Keanu Reeves, the featured histrion successful that movie franchise, person led to instrumentality enforcement’s instrumentality of his valuables followed by a polite, personally penned convey you enactment from the movie star.

It turns retired that Reeves, 61, was among the victims of a ringing of overseas nationals who question to the United States burglarizing homes successful affluent neighborhoods earlier returning location with a haul of costly wares.

Reeves’ location was burglarized sometime successful 2023 and the thieves made disconnected with millions of dollars successful items. Among the stolen goods were six invaluable watches, including 1 from the acceptable of “John Wick” with an inscription connected the back, according to the FBI.

Earlier this year, peculiar investigators successful Chile — wherever immoderate theft rings person originated — targeted a pack successful eastbound Santiago believed to beryllium down residential burglaries and occasional location invasions. In a associated cognition betwixt the FBI and Chilean police, authorities served hunt warrants astatine the homes of suspected theft ringing members and recovered spot belonging to Reeves and different person.

Reeves received backmost six watches valued astatine astir $125,000 successful August during a gathering successful New York with instrumentality enforcement aft identifying the watches from photos. But successful galore ways, due to the fact that of their attachments, they had acold greater worth to the star.

Reeves provided a handwritten missive to the FBI, offering “profound gratitude and appreciation,” thanking each parties involved, “to see the LAPD, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office successful Santiago, Chile, Policia de Investigaciones (PDI), and Fiscalìa de Chile (Chilean National Prosecutor’s Office).

(FBI)

“Thank you truthful overmuch for each your effort, dedication, professionalism and cross-border cooperation. My warmest regards, Keanu.”

Officials accidental Reeves’ location and the different antheral whose spot was recovered were victims of South American theft rings, which FBI investigators accidental person targeted homes passim the United States.

Over the past respective years, Southern California communities person go a favourite target. Chilean constabulary returned the stolen items during a sojourn by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem successful July.

During the investigation, instrumentality enforcement sources confirmed Chilean constabulary recovered a cellphone containing a photograph taken successful the United States. The representation features the John Wick Submariner, a gun, and the actor’s driving license, suggesting it was taken during the burglary.

The theft groups person targeted celebrities’ and nonrecreational athletes’ homes and person since expanded into analyzable overnight break-ins of jewelry stores and high-end retailers. Chilean gangs are known to behaviour surveillance and usage method tools to perpetrate their thefts. The burglary tourists from South America adjacent received assistance from a fake car rental concern that not lone provided them with high-end vehicles to gaffe into well-heeled areas undetected, but besides identified people areas and fenced their merchandise, according to the FBI.

“This lawsuit is simply a cleanable illustration of the fantabulous planetary practice we bask with our Chilean counterparts and our section partners astatine Los Angeles Police Department,” said Akil Davis, adjunct manager successful complaint of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.

Shortly aft Reeves got his watches back, the planetary instrumentality enforcement squad met with different victim, Eric Lorscheider, whose then-L.A. location was burglarized March 31, 2023.

During the burglary, the South American theft pack made disconnected with dozens of items of jewelry, including a people ringing from his alma mater, Duke University. Additional items that Lorscheider, who has since moved retired of the state, had from his clip serving successful the Marine Corps were stolen and person not been recovered.

“This lawsuit underscores however transgression contiguous knows nary borders, and however captious our planetary partnerships are successful bringing justness to victims present successful Los Angeles,” said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, adding, “it sends a beardown connection that organized theft groups volition beryllium pursued wherever they operate.”

While the FBI and LAPD person not placed a worth connected the Reeves 2023 burglary, Chile’s apical instrumentality enforcement officials estimation the nonaccomplishment to beryllium successful the millions.

“This cognition demonstrates our institution’s ongoing committedness to the pursuit of transnational organized crime,” Eduardo Cerna Lozano, manager wide of the Policía de Investigaciones de Chile, said successful a statement. “International practice is cardinal to confronting these types of threats that admit nary borders.”

Investigators accidental the thieves often usage the parcel station oregon couriers to nonstop their ill-gotten gains backmost to Chile. They exploit a visa strategy that critics complaint makes it excessively casual for Chileans to participate the state arsenic tourists without immoderate verification of their inheritance successful their ain country. Once successful the United States, constabulary say, they program heists and sometimes obstruction the loot earlier dispatching their net backmost home.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton cautioned that it’s hard to cognize for definite however galore robberies tin beryllium attributed to overseas burglars. Still, helium said, grounds indicates they are down scores of break-ins.