Manuscript Signed by Conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1527 Repatriated to the People of Mexico
These photos show the front and back of a document signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. The FBI repatriated the document to the Mexican government on July 19, 2023. Photo credit: FBI Boston
At a ceremony on July 19 at the Archivo General de la Nación—Mexico’s national archives located in Mexico City—the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Embassy of the United States in Mexico returned a manuscript signed by conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1527, believed to have been stolen sometime before 1993.
Special agents with the FBI Boston Division had been investigating the art crime since last June when a representative from Mexico’s National Archives alerted the FBI that the document was up for sale online by a Massachusetts-based auction house and requested the FBI’s assistance in retrieving it. Shortly after being contacted, the auction house removed the manuscript from the upcoming auction and turned it over to the FBI after being served with a seizure warrant.
“The government of Mexico doesn’t know exactly when or how the manuscript was stolen, and we don’t know how it was brought into the United States, but we do know the manuscript was sold by an auction house in California in the early 1990s and passed through several hands before being consigned by a person in Florida to the auction house here in Massachusetts,” said Kristin Koch, case agent and now supervisor of the FBI’s Art Crime Team. “Certainly, the individual who ‘owned’ the document at the time of this discovery had no idea the manuscript was stolen.”
The manuscript is a payment order signed by Cortés on April 27, 1527, authorizing the purchase of rose sugar for the pharmacy in exchange for 12 gold pesos. It is believed to be one of several documents unlawfully removed from a collection of documents concerning a Spanish expedition to Central America in 1527 that is housed in Mexico’s national archives.
“We are incredibly honored to be able to assist in the return of this national treasure to the people of Mexico. This manuscript, which is nearly five centuries old, preserves an important part of Mexico’s history, and reflects the FBI’s ongoing commitment to protect cultural heritage, not only in the United States but around the world,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The recovery of this priceless artifact is a direct result of our close and ongoing collaboration with the government of Mexico, and we are very thankful for their partnership.”
From left to right: FBI Supervisory Special Agent Angel Catalan of Legat Mexico City; U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar; Dr. Carlos Enrique Ruiz Abreu, director general del Archivo General de la Nación; Lic. Miguel Ángel Méndez Buenos Aires, coordinador de asuntos internacionales y agregadurías de la Fiscalía General de la Republica; Mtro. Alejandro Celorio Alcántara, consultor jurídico de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores; and Manuel Zepeda, director general de comunicación social de la Secretaria de Cultura are shown during a repatriation ceremony in Mexico on July 19, 2023. During the ceremony, the FBI repatriated a document signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to the government of Mexico. Photo credit: U.S. State Department
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts filed a civil forfeiture action last July to permit the return of this historical document.
“After missing for decades, thanks to incredible international collaboration and persistence the Cortés manuscript is finally where it belongs back in Mexico, where it will remain a treasured part of Mexico’s history and heritage,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I want to commend the asset recovery prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office whose hard work and dedication led to the return of this priceless and historically important artifact. We were honored to have assisted in this effort.”
“Mexico’s General Archive is grateful to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the assistance, coordination, dedication, and effort they showed in defending the interests of Mexico's national memory, which resulted in the repatriation of the payment order signed by Hernán Cortes in 1527," said Dr. Carlos Enrique Ruiz Abreu, director general del Archivo General de la Nación. "I am sure that by working together, the United States and Mexican authorities, we will continue protecting the historical legacy of our peoples, acting as authentic guardians of their cultural heritage.”
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar (center) is pictured with Dr. Carlos Enrique Ruiz Abreu (at left), director general del Archivo General de la Nación; and Lic. Miguel Ángel Méndez Buenos Aires (at right), coordinador de asuntos internacionales y agregadurías de la Fiscalía General de la Republica, as photographers look on at a repatriation ceremony held on July 19, 2023, in Mexico. During the ceremony, the FBI repatriated a document signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to the government of Mexico. Photo credit: U.S. State Department
You can read a recent FBI news story learn more about this 16th-century letter and how repatriation works.
Anyone with information on stolen art and cultural property is encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips may also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.
