FBI, NYPD return stolen Hernán Cortés document to Mexican government
NEW YORK (PIX11) — A joint operation between the FBI, the Department of Justice and the New York Police Department resulted in the return of a stolen centuries-old "priceless cultural artifact" to the government of Mexico, officials announced.
The FBI returned a stolen manuscript signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés on Feb. 20, 1527, to the Mexican government in a ceremony on Wednesday.
The nearly 500-year-old manuscript "outlines the payment of pesos of common gold for expenses in preparation for the discovery of the spice lands," FBI Art Crime Team Special Agent Jessica Dittmer said.
"It really gives a lot of flavor as to the planning and preparation for uncharted territory back then."
Authorities believe the document was taken from Mexico’s national archives between 1985 and 1993 after an inventory check revealed 15 pages of a Cortés collection had gone missing.
Dittmer, who is also embedded in the FBI New York’s FBI-NYPD Joint Major Theft Task Force, did not name anyone specifically, stating the manuscript "changed hands several times over." Due to that fact, no arrests were made.
This is the second time in the last two years the FBI has returned a Cortés document to the Mexican government. In 2023, the FBI returned a 16th-century letter authorizing a purchase of rose sugar.
Spencer Gustafson is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered New York state and city news since 2023. See more of his work here.