How I Got Arrested for Art Smuggling in Ecuador

Crazy things always seem to happen to me. Here's a story about how I got arrested for art smuggling in Ecuador.

Scott and I were backpacking through Ecuador a few years ago. We found our way to a really small market village in the Andes Mountains. It was a magical place nestled between two ancient volcanoes. Local legend has it that one volcano is the mother and the other is the father and they gave birth to the valley. We stumbled upon a dusty seemingly rarely visited shop filled with pieces of pottery and art. Scott fell in love with a dusty painting in the shop. It was an amazing painting that we both wanted. We managed to purchase the painting for too much money but it was amazing. We met the owner the following day to pay and take it with us. I found it strange he did not have a receipt so I wrote one out with all the details and had him sign it. You already know I have a manic mind, but thankfully, I have this strange ability to picture everything around me at anytime from memory.

A few days later we were leaving Ecuador. I was not able to convince Scott to ship the painting. He wanted to carry it as it was fragile. However, Scott forgot to remove a metal hook on the back of the painting and it set off the alarms. A lot of chaos occurred which ended with Scott and I being detained by airport security. They informed us the painting was a stolen national treasure and too old to leave the country! We attempted to reason with the security people but we did not speak Spanish and they spoke little English. I recognized we were in trouble and convinced them to let Scott return to the states with my bags and I would stay and give a report to the police. The toughest part was convincing Scott to leave me there. He eventually left so he could get in contact with lawyers in the states to get me out!

I also managed to convince security to let me make a call to the states. I woke my brother in law, my attorney, in California. I remember telling him to wake up this was not a joke, I had been arrested in Ecuador and needed his help.

I was taken into custody by Interpol for Art Smuggling! The agents treated me terribly and was angry that the airport security let Scott go. I was transferred through 6 offices over the next 8 hours. The American Embassy was no help and told me “I was in a heap of trouble.” It took about 10 hours for me to be transferred to an actual jail with automatic weapons pointed at me. I was interviewed by the head of Interpol, Quito Ecuador. Long story short I gave him all the information he needed, he spoke very little English, but thankfully, I had the receipt and drew a map of the area where the store was located and the name I had of the owner. He was so angry he threw everything off his desk in a rage. He shoved the receipt for the painting in the chest of the arresting officers and shouting a long series of Spanish words I was glad I couldn’t understand. He finally understood I was not an art smuggler but they kept the painting and my 2,000 US Dollars.

He released me and told them to take me to the airport. However, they were angry they did not get to bust an international art smuggler. They took me to the darkest, most dangerous parts of the city and threw me out of their car and left me. It took me 45 minutes of walking to find a taxi and by the time I got to the airport it was closed. I managed to get a flight home the next morning. They asked me to visit Ecuador again and assured me my passport was cleared. I have yet to return and do not have plans to do so!

Two weeks later a major Volcano erupted where the shop was located. I felt vindicated.