LOS ANGELES — The FBI has returned 48 cultural artifacts to Egypt after investigators determined the objects had been illegally trafficked out of the country, officials announced last week.
The artifacts were presented to Egyptian officials during an Aug. 21 ceremony at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The collection includes carved figures, amulets and tomb equipment dating to Egypt’s Pharaonic, Roman and Coptic periods.
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Investigators, working with Egyptian antiquities experts and the FBI’s legal attaché in Cairo, confirmed that the objects originated in Egypt. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs determined that the artifacts were authentic and found no records showing they had been lawfully removed from the country.
The person suspected of trafficking the artifacts has died, according to the FBI. The investigation remains open as agents seek possible co-conspirators and other artifacts that may have been illegally removed from Egypt.
The most recent possessor contacted the FBI after researching the collection and questioning how the artifacts entered the United States.
The United States and Egypt entered into a cultural property agreement in 2016 that restricts the importation of certain Egyptian archaeological and ethnological materials. The agreement helps the countries identify, intercept and return trafficked cultural property.
The FBI Art Crime Team has recovered more than 20,000 objects valued collectively at more than $1 billion since its creation in 2004. U.S. law enforcement agencies have returned more than 5,000 cultural artifacts to Egypt over the past decade, according to the FBI.
Quick Facts
- Artifacts returned: 48
- Country of origin: Egypt
- Items: Carved figures, amulets and tomb equipment
- Historical periods: Pharaonic, Roman and Coptic
- Ceremony: Aug. 21, 2026
- Location: FBI Los Angeles Field Office
- Investigating agency: FBI Art Crime Team
- Case status: Investigation remains open
- Suspected trafficker: Deceased
- Investigation focus: Possible co-conspirators and additional trafficked artifacts