Cultural treasures smuggled into Utah returned to Peruvian government


5 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

DENVER — Artifacts dating back to the pre-Columbian era that were seized in Utah and Tennessee were returned to the Peruvian government Wednesday at a ceremony in Denver.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations seized smuggled artifacts from a man in Utah after receiving a tip from HIS Tel Aviv, ICE reported in a media release Wednesday. Federal agents found artifacts from Peru and Costa Rica in the suspect's Utah home, including a Chancay statue from 1200-1450 A.D. and a funerary vessel from 100-1532 A.D.

The artifacts returned included the funerary vessel, Chancay statue and a Lambayeque-style vessel from 800-1300 A.D.

“The cultural treasures returned today do not belong in the hands of any private collection or one owner. They belong to the people of Peru where they can be displayed and serve as a reminder of Peru’s rich cultural heritage,” said Thomas Winkowski, acting ICE director. “ICE remains a committed partner in the effort to ensure that we investigate individuals involved in the illicit trade, and objects like these are returned to their rightful owner.”

The Peruvian government received 22 other artifacts in separate ceremonies in San Antonio and Boston.

More than 7,150 artifacts have been returned to 27 countries by HIS since 2007, including paintings from France and Germany and 15th century manuscripts from Italy.

Photos

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

UtahScienceU.S.
Tracie Snowder

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast