ICE returns stolen 16th century tapestry to Spain

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WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) returned a 16th century tapestry, stolen in 1979 from a church, to the government of Spain Wednesday at a repatriation ceremony at the Spanish ambassador's residence in Washington. The tapestry was seized by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents in Houston after it was sold at auction.

The wool and silk tapestry was stolen in December 1979 from a national cathedral in Roda de Isábena, in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. The tapestry depicts St. Ramon, the Virgin Mary with infant Jesus, Saint Vincent of Saragossa and Saint Valerius, used as an altar piece in the Romanesque cathedral. The tapestry was produced in the early 1500s and was part of the church's collection when the cathedral was declared a national monument by royal decree in 1924.

The return of this cultural property to Spain is the culmination of an investigation by HSI Houston, HSI Madrid, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of International Affairs, Belgian National Police, Spanish Civil Guard (Guardía Civil) and its Historical Heritage Protection Group.

The repatriation ceremony was conducted by ICE Director John Morton, Spanish Ambassador to the United States Ramón Gil-Casares, DOJ Office of International Affairs Director Mary Ellen Warlow, Spain's General Director of Fine Arts Jesús Prieto de Pedro and Chief of Central Operational Unit Pedro Ortega Calahorro of the Guardía Civil.

"The plundering of cultural property is one of the oldest forms of organized cross-border crime," said ICE Director Morton. "Homeland Security Investigations understands the cultural and historical significance of protecting a country's treasures and we are pleased today that this 16th century tapestry will be returned to the people of Spain. Today's repatriation is an example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement partners from around the world work together in the effort to ensure that stolen and looted priceless cultural objects like this are returned to their rightful owner."

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