Overview

• ROV imagery captured Lima-minted silver cobs dated 1707, Chinese porcelain and 17th-century cannon markings that match historical records of the San José’s 1708 voyage
• The galleon’s cargo of gold, silver and emeralds is estimated to be worth between $17 billion and $20 billion in today’s market
• First located by the Colombian navy in 2015, the wreck rests nearly 2,000 feet below the Caribbean near Baru Island and has been surveyed in non-invasive expeditions through 2022
• Colombia, Spain, Peru, indigenous communities and U.S. salvage firm Sea Search Armada have all filed competing claims to ownership of the ship and its treasure
• Colombian authorities aim to recover artifacts for a planned national museum, but ongoing legal battles threaten to delay salvage and exhibition efforts