Spain sending military planes to US to retrieve tons of treasure at heart of 5-year lawsuit
MADRID - Spain will send hulking military transport planes to Florida to retrieve 17 tons of treasure that U.S. undersea explorers found but ultimately lost in American courts.
The Civil Guard said Monday that agents would leave within hours to take possession of the booty, worth an estimated €380 million ($504 million), and two Spanish Hercules transport planes will bring it back.
A federal judge has ordered Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration to give Spanish officials access to the silver coins and other artifacts beginning Tuesday.
Odyssey found them in a Spanish galleon in 2007 off Portugal. Spain argued successfully in court it never relinquished ownership of the ship or its contents.
