Photo Gallery: Raiders of the Lost Art
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit has recovered and returned more than 2,500 stolen artifacts to more than 21 countries since 2007.
One of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau's lesser known missions is returning stolen cultural artifacts to their home countries.
The bureau's Homeland Security Investigations unit partners with foreign governments, academic institutions and other federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, to seize artwork and other cultural property that has been brought to the United States illegally, and repatriate it.
The unit also trains foreign investigators on locating and verifying the authenticity of stolen items.
Since 2007, ICE has returned more than 2,500 cultural treasures to more than 21 countries. Click here to view a photo gallery of some of the more recent successes.