FBI Returns Stolen Cortés Document to Mexico
The FBI has returned a valuable manuscript page signed by Hernán Cortés to Mexico, nearly five centuries after its creation and decades after its theft. The document details logistics related to Cortés’s journey to New Spain, a territory vital to Mexico’s history, and dates back to 1527, a significant year for the formation of royal and religious institutions. Originally stored in Mexico’s national archives, the page was discovered missing in 1993, with the FBI’s art crime team later locating it in the United States. This marks the second Cortés document returned by the FBI to Mexico, highlighting its commitment to protecting cultural property.
John Q. Hosedrinker