Hernán Cortés manuscript stolen from Mexico’s archives returned after several decades
Inside the search to find missing Hernán Cortés document
- A priceless manuscript page bearing the signature of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés from 1527 has been returned to Mexico by the FBI.
- The document was stolen from Mexico's national archives between 1985 and 1993, with its absence discovered in 1993 during microfilming.
- Mexico formally requested the FBI's Art Crime Team's assistance last year, leading to an investigation that traced the document to the United States.
- No charges will be filed in connection with the theft due to the document having changed hands multiple times since it went missing.
- This is the second Cortés document the FBI has returned to Mexico, following a 16th-century letter in 2023, as Mexico continues its efforts to repatriate cultural artefacts.