Overview

• Leandro Rivera unearthed hundreds of pre-Hispanic artifacts in Peru's Nazca region, fueling theories of extraterrestrial life.
• The looted artifacts, including bodies with elongated heads and altered hands, have sparked international interest.
• Peru's efforts to control artifact trafficking face challenges amid a surge in online black market sales since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Experts call for stricter penalties and better coordination to combat the looting of Peru's archaeological sites.
• The Peruvian government is working on repatriating smuggled remains and stopping the trafficking of cultural artifacts.