U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 

ICE HSI seizes more than 22,000 ancient artifacts in Florida

ICE Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, with HSI Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, seized more than 22,000 artifacts in Florida as part of an ongoing global antiquities-smuggling investigation, ICE said August 28, 2026, calling it among the largest seizures in HSI history. Preliminary evaluations indicate some objects may date 1,000–5,000 years ago from Europe, Africa, the Levant, and the Eastern Mediterranean. University of South Florida and University of Pennsylvania experts are assisting. ARTnews reported the release 1 September 2026. ICE did not detail where, when, or how the objects were seized.

From U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Read the original