48 items recovered through FBI art crime investigations are headed home to Peru — some linked to pre-Columbian cultures going back centuries.
Dozens of cultural artifacts that had been trafficked out of Peru are on their way home. Recovered through FBI investigations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, Nevada, 48 items were formally returned to the South American country during a repatriation ceremony on March 24, 2026, at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C.
The ceremony marked another chapter in the FBI’s ongoing effort to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property — work that sits at the intersection of law enforcement, diplomacy, and the preservation of human history.
What Was Recovered
The artifacts span centuries of Peruvian heritage. The collection includes colonial-era paintings, textiles, ceramics, and silver ornaments, with some pieces linked to pre-Columbian cultures including the Chancay and the Inca Empire. Their recovery and return represent not just a legal outcome but the restoration of irreplaceable history to the people it belongs to.
The FBI’s Art Crime Program
The Bureau’s Art Crime Program, established in 2004 as part of the Criminal Division, fields a team of special agents trained specifically in art and cultural property investigations, drawn from field offices across the country. Since its founding, the program has recovered more than 20,000 items valued at more than $1 billion.
The 48 Peruvian artifacts were recovered through FBI investigations in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, followed by extensive legal work confirming the items belong to Peru. The effort involved close coordination between the FBI’s Art Crime Program, the Embassy of Peru, and U.S. and Peruvian authorities.
“The FBI is proud to work with the Peruvian minister of culture to return artifacts significant to the cultural heritage of their nation,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “We are happy to see these items returned home so that they can be further appreciated and enjoyed.”
A Bilateral Commitment
The repatriation also reflects a longstanding diplomatic framework between the two countries. A bilateral agreement implemented by the U.S. State Department in 1997 restricts the importation of Peruvian archaeological and ethnological materials into the United States — a powerful legal tool designed to discourage trafficking and protect cultural heritage at the source.
As the U.S. and Peru mark 200 years of diplomatic relations, officials on both sides framed the ceremony as a demonstration of that partnership in action.
“By coming together today, we’ve done more than return these irreplaceable objects,” said Darren Beattie, senior bureau official of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. “We have reaffirmed the commitment our countries share to combat the illicit trade of cultural property.”
At the ceremony, Supervisory Special Agent Jake Archer, program manager of the FBI’s Art Crime Program, joined Ambassador Rodolfo Coronado, permanent representative of Peru to the Organization of American States, in marking the occasion.
Why It Matters
Every artifact recovered and returned represents a piece of history that might otherwise have disappeared permanently into private collections or the gray market of illicit trade. Pre-Columbian objects in particular — pieces tied to civilizations that no longer exist in the same form — cannot be replicated or replaced. Their return to Peru ensures they remain part of the living cultural heritage of the country and its people, available to be studied, displayed, and passed down to future generations.
“Thanks to the relentless joint efforts of U.S. and Peruvian law enforcement, these treasures will continue to inspire the world for years to come,” Beattie said.
For more information on the FBI’s Art Crime Program, visit fbi.gov.
