ICE returns thousands of years old artifacts to Mexico
Ancient cultural property returned to Mexican Institute for Anthropology and History
and last updated 2021-03-10 16:04:48-05
NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN) â These artifacts are called Pre-Columbian.
What that really means is they are very old, some of them a thousand years, others five thousand years old.
Some of these treasures from antiquity were found by staff at a museum in Chandler. When they came across the artifacts, which had been in storage. ICE agent Scott Brown, who ran the investigations that discovered these items, said the museum s staff contacted his agency.
US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned 277 pre-Columbian objects to the Mexican consulate in Nogales, Arizona, in a repatriation ceremony on Tuesday Photo: courtesy of INAH
Ending two separate investigations of suspected smuggled Mexican artefacts, officials from the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned 277 pre-Columbian objects to the Mexican consulate in Nogales, Arizona, in a repatriation ceremony on Tuesday.
The first, and largest, group of 267 items were first confiscated by Customs and Border Patrol in October 2012, from two Mexican citizens who entered the US at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogale. Archaeologists were then asked to examine the collection of arrowheads, tools, and small stone carvings, and they were dated as between 1,000 and 5,000 years old. The Mexican Institute for Anthropology and History estimated that the total value of the artefacts was roughly $124,000.
HSI Arizona returns hundreds of pre-Columbian artifacts to Mexico HSI Arizona returns hundreds of pre-Columbian artifacts to Mexico (Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) By KOLD News 13 Staff | March 9, 2021 at 2:25 PM MST - Updated March 9 at 2:25 PM
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned 277 pre-Columbian artifacts to Mexican officials Tuesday during a repatriation ceremony in the Mexican Consulate in Nogales.
The pieces were recovered after two separate investigations by HSI special agents assigned to Phoenix and Nogales, Arizona. Scott Brown, special agent in charge of HSI Phoenix, presented the relics to Mexican Consul General Ambassador Ricardo Santana and Jose Luis Perea, director of the Mexican Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH) in Sonora, Mexico. The Mexican officials accepted the relics on behalf of the people of Mexico.