Cultural property, art and antiquities smuggling is a global crime that enables criminals to profit from stolen history, launder money and fund terrorism.

People and criminal networks illegally traffic a wide range of cultural property, including the following:

• Ancient artifacts, such as those taken from Egyptian sarcophagi.
• Historic items, such as letters from Christopher Columbus to Spanish royalty.
• Dinosaur eggs and other fossils.
• Stolen museum displays.
• Artifacts from excavation sites.
• Property stolen from conflict zones.

The international demand for cultural property makes its theft a highly profitable crime — and it’s relatively low risk compared to other offenses, such as narcotics smuggling. Many criminals steal and smuggle cultural property, art and antiquities to fund criminal enterprises and launder profits of other crimes.

HSI’s role is clear: To stop the illegal international smuggling of cultural property, art and antiquities; prevent criminals from profiting from it; and facilitate the return of stolen and looted goods to their rightful owners.

Understanding Cultural Property, Art, and Antiquities Smuggling

Cultural property is a nonrenewable resource that's vital to learning about human history and cultures, maintaining community identity and practices, and honoring cultural heritage and traditions. Unlike weapons, money or drugs, cultural property is finite and irreplaceable — once a piece of history is destroyed, it’s lost to the world forever.

Criminals often destroy archaeological sites, disturb graves, and steal from religions and cultural institutions to steal cultural property, which negatively impacts our shared history.

These criminal and terrorist organizations use their proceeds to commit other illegal activities — some of which are violent and physically harm innocent people. Trafficking these items also easily disguises where the money is going, making criminal finances harder to trace.

What Impact Does It Have?

Cultural property is a unique, nonrenewable resource that is important for learning about the diversity of human history and cultures. It is important for community identity and practices and is recognized as part of a group’s cultural heritage and protected traditions.

Unlike things like weapons, money and drugs, cultural heritage is finite and irreplaceable – once a piece of history is destroyed, it’s lost to the world forever. To obtain objects to smuggle, criminals often destroy archaeological sites, disturb graves and steal from religions and cultural institutions, all of which has an impact on our shared history.

Additionally, criminal and terrorist organizations use the funds from this type of crime to commit other illegal activities, some of which can be violent and physically harm innocent civilians. Trafficking these items also easily disguises where the money is going, making criminal finances harder to trace.

HSI's Response to Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Smuggling

Illicit importation and distribution of stolen or looted property is a form of illegal smuggling. Financing these crimes, profiting from them and trying to hide the proceeds are also against the law.

U.S. customs statutes give HSI special agents the responsibility, jurisdiction and authority to take the leading role in criminal investigations involving these offenses.

HSI focuses its cultural property, arts and antiquities smuggling investigations on stopping the flow of trafficked contraband and dismantling the networks that profit from it. We use our experience and authorities to do the following:

• Identify and target suspicious activity. HSI collaborates with U.S. and foreign partners to gather information on looted and stolen items. Many times, those items are seized at the border for being improperly declared, labeled or valued. In other cases, HSI learns of stolen items in the U.S. or abroad and, if the goods are connected to an illegal act, works to seize them.
   
• Authenticate seized items and determine country of origin. HSI works with the Smithsonian Institution and other subject matter experts to determine if seized items are the real stolen objects. Special agents determine how they were stolen, sold and purchased — and who was responsible at each point in the process. HSI also tracks the proceeds gained from selling these goods to determine whether the money is paying for other crimes.
   
• Stop trafficking. HSI seizes criminally derived money and assets to prevent criminals from selling more goods and funding other crimes. Sometimes, HSI implements emergency import restrictions to place designated items on a list that prevents their movement into the United States. If special agents uncover enough evidence, HSI arrests people who purchase or sell trafficked cultural property, arts and antiquities.
   
• Repatriate property. After HSI completes an investigation and enforces the law, HSI coordinates repatriation — an object’s return to its rightful owner. Often, returns take place during formal ceremonies at embassies, consulates, museums and other significant locations around the world. In addition to returning cultural property to its people, repatriation ceremonies often provide significant diplomatic benefits.

Since 2007, HSI has repatriated over 20,000 items to more than 40 countries.

How We Can Help Each Other

If you have any information about trafficked cultural property, art or antiquities, please call the HSI Tip Line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.