Over 200 Looted Artifacts Returned to Mexico from US

Over 200 pre-Columbian artifacts looted from Mexico have been repatriated from the United States as part of a decade-long Mexican campaign to recover its cultural heritage. The objects, dating back to 900 BCE, were smuggled into California, South Carolina, and Florida between 2016 and 2021. They include Olmec sculptures, bowls, clasps, pins, amulets, and ritual effigies made of stone and clay. US customs agents seized the shipments and arrested the traffickers. A total of 281 Mexican artifacts have now been returned, following a handover ceremony in Memphis, Texas. According to Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Stephen Sapp, two more shipments are still pending, but seven have already been repatriated. The repatriation was enabled by bilateral agreements that prohibit the import of archaeological and ethnological material without export permits and purchase receipts.