Investigators confronted Reyes inside the restaurant, saying he was wanted concerning the smuggled artifacts, court records state. Inside Reyes’ white Nissan Xterra, agents found the rabbit sticks. One of the men detained alongside Reyes told agents he was looking to buy the “rabbit sticks, (scrapers) and points,” or arrowheads, from Reyes for $7,000. The meeting inside the steakhouse was the culmination of several conversations and e-mails about the artifacts. The potential buyer and the other man, a friend of Reyes who claimed no knowledge of the artifacts, were released without arrest.Reyes faces charges for allegedly smuggling the cultural property, and if convicted a penalty which potentially be up to 20 years in prison. Apparently:
Reyes has a history of dealing in pre-Columbian artifacts, investigators wrote in court documents, with customs officers seizing a cache of relics from him in June 2001. Prosecutors dismissed that case from federal court in Laredo weeks after his arrest.Jared Taylor, 'McAllen man tangled in international pre-Columbian artifact smuggling case', The Monitor, May 07, 2011
Photo: K-Bob's Steakhouse, Fort Stockton TX, reportedly the food is good, but service leaves a lot to be desired.
1 comment:
I also discuss this issue in the context of other heritage issues in the Southwest, over on SAFECorner.
http://safecorner.savingantiquities.org/2011/05/heritage-looting-and-vandalism-in.html
Post a Comment