US firm plans to begin hauling disputed sunken $4B treasure without Colombia’s permission
Source: Colombia Reports
US firm plans to begin hauling disputed sunken $4B treasure without Colombia’s permission
written by Adriaan Alsema June 5, 2016
A US firm that claims to have found the ancient San Jose galleon and its $4 billion treasure plans to begin extracting artifacts from the ship without permission of Colombia, whose government also claims to have found the ship.
President Juan Manuel Santos announced the finding of the ship, just off the coast of port city Cartagena, last year. However, a US firm Sea Search Armada (SSA) has consistently claimed it located the vessel and its treasure decades ago already and claims a 50% finders fee, allegedly with the blessing of Colombia’s Supreme Court.
To complicate the matter even further, Spain also claims part of the treasure, arguing the ship sailed under Spanish flag when British war ships sank it in 1708.
But while Spain and Colombia have been trying to settle the dispute through diplomatic channels, SSA seeks to a head-to-head collision with the Colombian government, which has denied the American company’s predecessor provided the coordinates for the ship.
Read more: http://colombiareports.com/us-firm-plans-begin-hauling-disputed-4b-treasure-without-colombias-permission/
[center]
SSA Managing Director Jack Harbeston
[/center]