On April 23, the Trump administration returned 26 looted antiquities to Greece during a ceremony at the Greek embassy in Washington, D.C. This shipment was part of an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with support from ICE, the FBI, and the State Department. The collection featured a 500-pound marble torso of Asklepios, a Greek god of medicine, which dates back to the 1st or 2nd century AD. Authorities confiscated it after discovering that the documents linked to it were fraudulent. The shipment also contained 25 coins from various periods, including Greek, Roman, and Byzantine.
Among the notable coins was a gold piece from around 370 BC, minted in Lampsakos (present-day Turkey). Looters allegedly excavated it and sold it for 7,000 euros through an intermediary to a criminal network. This coin is thought to have moved illegally from Greece to Germany before reaching an auction house in Philadelphia. Additionally, Macedonian bronze coins from the same era depict figures like Persephone and Hydra and are linked to the same smuggling group. HSI Memphis also confiscated a silver didrachm from Rhodes, minted around 304 BC, due to the shipper’s inability to prove it had left Greece before import restrictions were imposed.
Interpol aided U.S. and Greek officials in recovering two coins tied to the smuggling operation. ICE Deputy Assistant Director Charles Wall expressed the significance of this return at the embassy event, noting his long-standing interest in ancient Greek history. “This return means a lot to me… Today, these items will go back to their homeland, ensuring their future,” he remarked.
Greek Ambassador to the U.S., Antonis Alexandridis, described the handover as “a subtle but powerful victory for law, scientific research, and moral clarity against those who seek to fragment the past.” Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni oversaw the return of the items and engaged with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Shelley Kenneson Hall, regarding updates to the bilateral agreement on antiquities import regulations, which should be finalized by September.
Since 2007, HSI’s Heritage, Art, and Antiquities program has managed to return over 25,000 items to more than 40 countries, with Greece receiving more than 200 of these artifacts. Additionally, U.S. civilians voluntarily donated 12 other artifacts during a similar ceremony.
