Mexico City, April 9, 2019, – On April 9, 2019, the U.S. Federal Bureau Investigation, working through the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, returned two artifacts to the Mexican Ministry of Culture – National Institute of Anthropology.
The two pieces returned originated at a Mexican archeological site and are an important part of Mexico’s cultural patrimony. Their design is in keeping with the Teotihuacan style associated with the cultures that settled in the Mexican Central High Plateau during the Mesoamerican Classic Period (200-700 AD).
The restitution of these pieces is the result of the close collaboration between the United States and Mexico as part of our ongoing efforts to recover and return cultural property. These efforts were facilitated by the U.S.-Mexico Treaty of Cooperation for the Recovery and Return of Stolen Archaeological, Historical and Cultural Goods, signed on July 17, 1970. The ancient and historic monuments, objects, and archaeological sites of the world enrich and inform today’s societies, and help connect us to our cultural origins.
The United States government is committed to combatting the theft and trafficking of cultural heritage and to preserving and protecting it where it is found. The FBI is pleased to complete this final step in the return of these objects as part of its ongoing commitment to locate and return objects of cultural patrimony globally and ensure they are secure and available to future generations.
Press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City