The United States is returning dozens of stolen pre-Columbian artifacts back to Peru.

The items were illegally smuggled into the U.S. but have been recovered by American authorities; they have been repatriated and are on their way back to Peru.

According to the Associated Press, investigators from the Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Homeland Security department have recovered more than 40 historical items belonging to Peru and repatriated them in ceremonies in Denver, Boston and San Antonio. The ceremonies were held at the Peruvian consulates in the aforementioned cities on Wednesday.

The middleman who smuggled many of these items bought them from local Peruvian farmers, smuggled them into Bolivia and then mailed them to a connection in New England. Israeli authorities arrested a Utah man on smuggling charges after he tried to smuggle two objects. Another item was recovered from a Tennessee business that sold Mayan antiquities.

"The cultural treasures returned today do not belong in the hands of any private collection or one owner. They belong to the people of Peru where they can be displayed and serve as a reminder of Peru's rich cultural heritage," said ICE acting director Thomas Winkowski in a statement.

The Peruvian newspaper La Republica reports among the objects recovered were two colonial paintings from Cuzco, a funerary urn dating from around 1,000-1,532 C.E., a statuette from the Chancay civilization from around 1,200-1,450 C.E., an urn from the Lambayeque civilization from around 800-1,300 C.E., and various Inca items taken from sacked tombs.

"Thanks to the close cooperation and commitment of the governments of Peru and of the specialized agencies of the United States, a number of artifacts have been repatriated, since crimes against cultural property of a country have no boundaries and require a coordinated response from the two nations," said Peru's ambassador to the U.S., Harold Forsyth.

Although these items were returned, Peru asked New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier this year to return around 400 pieces from the pre-Inca Moche culture. Peruvian authorities believe the items arrived in the U.S. through smugglers, Fusion reports.