Overview
- The FBI transferred 48 cultural objects to Peru in a repatriation ceremony at the Peruvian Embassy in Washington on March 24.
- The collection spans colonial-era paintings, prehispanic textiles and ceramics, and silver ornaments, including pieces linked to the Chancay culture.
- Agents recovered the items in investigations in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, Nevada, after legal review confirmed Peru’s ownership.
- FBI deputy criminal division leader Heith Janke praised cooperation with Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and Peruvian representatives Alfredo Ferrero and Claudia Alemán took part in the event.
- The return aligns with the countries’ 200-year diplomatic milestone and builds on a 1997 bilateral agreement, as the FBI Art Crime Program notes a record of more than 20,000 recovered cultural items worth over $1 billion.