Christmas Eve theft at Mexico's National Museum

Before dawn on 25 December 1985, two men got into the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. The museum’s own history page says they climbed the metal fence on Paseo de la Reforma, crossed the garden and entered a basement by a stairway. They then moved through the air-conditioning ducts. The theft was found at the guard change at about eight in the morning.

The museum is run by INAH, Mexico’s national institute of anthropology and history. It says the guards were meant to patrol every two hours but stayed in one place for a Christmas party. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1989 that the guards were reportedly drunk or asleep, and that no alarm system protected the building. The sources disagree on how long the men were inside: INAH says about three hours, and the Attorney General in 1989 said about 30 minutes.

They took pre-Hispanic gold, jade, turquoise, obsidian and shell objects from seven display cases in three halls. The pieces came from the Maya, Mexica (Aztec), Zapotec and Mixtec collections. The New York Times named Maya, Aztec, Mixtec and Zapotec objects. Trafficking Culture, BBC Mundo and Mexicolore say the Maya jade funerary mask of Pakal of Palenque was among them. That claim is attributed, not confirmed.

The number of objects is disputed. The first police report listed 173 items, some of them made of several pieces. The New York Times reported 140 missing, and the museum’s page still gives 140. The museum had no full inventory. In June 1989, Mexican officials gave a revised count of 124 objects taken and 111 recovered. Early reports had given other numbers. El Pais reports that of the 13 not returned, seven went with one of the thieves, two were traded for cocaine and four were never located.

For years, officials believed that professional thieves or foreigners were responsible. In fact the men were veterinary students. The Attorney General’s account, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, says Carlos Perches Treviño and Ramón Sardina García watched the museum for about six months. They then hid the pieces in a suitcase at the Perches family home. A drug trafficker arrested in 1989 led police to Perches. Police raided the home on 9 or 10 June 1989, depending on the source. Perches was charged on 12 June with theft and damage to national treasures.

On 14 June 1989 the 111 recovered pieces were handed back at the museum. The Los Angeles Times said they were in good condition. A Zapotec bat-god mask had come apart and was repaired. INAH then added an alarm system, closed-circuit cameras and more guards, and the penal code was changed to punish theft of heritage.

El Pais and GQ Mexico report that Perches was sentenced to 22 years. Mexicolore gives 22 to 32 years and notes conflicting reports. GQ Mexico says he left prison in about 1995. GQ Mexico, BBC Mundo and Mexicolore report that he was later killed in unclear circumstances. No court record was found. Sardina was never arrested. A warrant was out in 1989, and El Pais still called him a fugitive in October 2025.

El Pais reports that the recovered pieces are in the museum, with the Pakal mask on view.