EL PASO, Texas – The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) returned a total of 523 pre-Hispanic archaeological pieces to Mexican officials Thursday during a repatriation ceremony at the Mexican consulate.
The pieces include stone arrowheads, knife blades, and tools that were illegally imported into the United States from Mexico and offered for sale. The pre-Hispanic period refers to the time before the Spanish conquests in the Western Hemisphere.
Erik P. Breitzke, special agent in charge of HSI in El Paso, and representatives of the National Park Service delivered the relics to the Consul General of Mexico, Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León, who accepted them on behalf of the Mexican government.
–
–
Special agents assigned to HSI’s Alpine, Texas office began an investigation in April 2016 into the stolen artifacts after National Park Service rangers discovered some of the items in Big Bend National Park.
Through a multi-agency investigation, the artifacts were seized in August 2016 and confiscated in May 2017, after the person trafficking them was charged with smuggling merchandise in the United States District Court for the District. West Texas. .
“The theft of cultural property and artifacts is not simply a crime, it is a crime against the history of a nation,” said Breitzke. “HSI is a world leader in the investigation of crimes related to the illegal importation and distribution of cultural property. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and foreign governments to ensure that people do not profit from these criminal acts. “
“The return of these pre-Hispanic pieces highlights the active cooperation between the governments of Mexico and the United States in the protection of cultural property, as well as the commitment that historical and cultural legacies return to their places of origin,” said the Consul Ibarra Ponce de León.
“The National Park Service has been committed to preserving and protecting natural and cultural resources for more than a century,” said National Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “We are honored to have participated in the multi-agency investigative effort that led to the repatriation of several hundred artifacts to the government and people of Mexico. It is a collective achievement that demonstrates our shared mission to preserve history for generations to come. “
As part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), HSI has authorities dedicated to confiscating cultural property and antiquities illegally brought into the United States and ensuring their return to their respective countries.
Despite increasingly aggressive enforcement efforts to prevent theft of cultural heritage and other antiquities, the illicit movement of such items across international borders continues to challenge global law enforcement efforts to reduce trafficking. of said goods. The antiquities trade is estimated to be a multibillion dollar transnational criminal enterprise.
– .
