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PSA Seizes Suspected Colonial 'Virgen de la Leche' Painting at Santiago del Estero Airport

A federal judge placed the work under museum custody for expert analysis to verify origin and possible illegal export from Peru.

Overview

  • Officers flagged an outsized, wrapped item that could not pass the X-ray during checked-baggage screening for a flight to Buenos Aires.
  • The traveler said the piece was a gift and described it as a print, then provided a contact who acknowledged acquiring it in Peru.
  • Judge Sebastián Argibay ordered preventive seizure and placed the piece under the local museum’s care for examination by the provincial cultural heritage directorate.
  • Investigators are assessing stylistic traits linked to the Cusco school and will determine authenticity, provenance and any breach of Argentina’s Law 25.743.
  • The woman remains free and continued her trip as authorities probe potential illicit export and evaluate paths for restitution if wrongdoing is confirmed.