that Houston investigators found an informant who pointed the investigation to Mexico.

Video footage helped investigators and likely will serve as evidence for criminal charges expected from the U.S. attorney's office, the chief said.

Brady, the MVP of perhaps the greatest comeback victory in Super Bowl history, said he left the SB51 jersey in a bag in his locker after the game on Feb. 5, and changed into a champions t-shirt for the post-game ceremony. When he returned, the jersey was missing.

"I put it in my bag, and then I came out and it wasn't there anymore. So it's unfortunate because that's a nice piece of memorabilia. So if it turns up on eBay somewhere, someone let me know," he said.

"Through the cooperation of the NFL and New England Patriots’security teams, the FBI and other law enforcement authorities, the Super Bowl LI jersey worn last month by MVP Tom Brady has been recovered. Also retrieved during the ongoing investigation was the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks in 2015.

"The items were found in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media. Due to the ongoing investigation, we would refer any additional questions to the FBI."

Corey Roepken and Andrew Kragie of the Houston Chronicle contributed to this report.