Read, Watch or Listen

The FBI returned a 500-year-old document signed by Hernán Cortés to Mexico. The manuscript page, detailing expedition supplies, was stolen from Mexico's national archives between 1985 and 1993. The FBI's art crime team, using open-source research, located the document in the US. No arrests were made due to the document changing hands multiple times. This repatriation highlights the US's commitment to combating antiquities trafficking, despite current political tensions with Mexico. The FBI plans to recover the other missing pages from the collection.

Prepared by Rachel Morgan and reviewed by editorial team.