Keating Authors Stolen Antiquities Bill to Prevent Terrorist Funding

Press Release

Today, Rep. Bill Keating, Ranking Member of the Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee on the Foreign Affairs Committee and a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, introduced the Prevent Trafficking in Cultural Property Act. This legislation aims to increase detection at our borders of stolen antiquities, many of which contribute to funding terrorist activities, and improve efforts to dismantle the trafficking networks. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul and Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel are both original cosponsors of the legislation.

"I recently traveled to the Middle East and Europe where I spoke with officials there about the pervasive problem of antiquities smuggling and other articles of cultural heritage being stolen," said Rep. Keating. "While cultural treasures have been the target of thieves throughout history, the real concern now is they are being looted and sold on the black market by groups like ISIL to fund terrorist activities. As a major destination for these items, the United States is responsible for detecting and interdicting such objects and prosecuting those who participate in such terrorist financing activities. Unfortunately, a lack of trained officials, resources, and coordination between agencies has resulted in a significant uptick of this trade into the U.S. -- with some estimates indicating that the dollar value of antiquities arriving to the U.S. from places like Iraq and Syria have risen by as much as 600%. My legislation would result in the identification of these items at U.S. ports of entry through mandated cultural property trainings, improved detection methods, and focused coordination between agencies to dismantle the insidious networks of traffickers."

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