Tampa federal agents seize 22,000 ancient artifacts in one of agency’s largest busts
<p>Federal agents in Tampa have seized more than 22,000 artifacts from Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean as part of an ongoing investigation into international antiquities smuggling, officials announced.</p><p>ICE states the recovered property includes Greek and Roman coins, terracotta pots, vases, statues, weapons, jewelry, trinkets and mosaic picture frames.</p><h2>Tampa antiquities seizure</h2><p>More than 22,000 ancient artifacts were intercepted by Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and HSI's Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities division.</p><p>The massive recovery marks one of the largest seizures in HSI history, according to reports.</p><p>Officials say preliminary evaluations reveal the items may have originated from ancient civilizations between 1,000 and 5,000 years ago. </p><h2>Black market investigation</h2><p>Authorities have not named any specific suspects or criminal networks involved in the operation. Officials have also not disclosed the total financial value of the seized items or specified exactly where agents confiscated the property.</p><h2>University partner research</h2><p>According to ICE, because there is no field-testing for antiquities unlike narcotics, HSI partners with experts at local universities to identify and authenticate objects. Reports say faculty and research teams from the University of South Florida and the University of Pennsylvania are providing specialized analysis, historical context and conservation support. </p><p>Agents will work alongside domestic and international par…
<p>Federal agents in Tampa have seized more than 22,000 artifacts from Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean as part of an ongoing investigation into international antiquities smuggling, officials announced.</p><p>ICE states the recovered property includes Greek and Roman coins, terracotta pots, vases, statues, weapons, jewelry, trinkets and mosaic picture frames.</p><h2>Tampa antiquities seizure</h2><p>More than 22,000 ancient artifacts were intercepted by Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and HSI's Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities division.</p><p>The massive recovery marks one of the largest seizures in HSI history, according to reports.</p><p>Officials say preliminary evaluations reveal the items may have originated from ancient civilizations between 1,000 and 5,000 years ago. </p><h2>Black market investigation</h2><p>Authorities have not named any specific suspects or criminal networks involved in the operation. Officials have also not disclosed the total financial value of the seized items or specified exactly where agents confiscated the property.</p><h2>University partner research</h2><p>According to ICE, because there is no field-testing for antiquities unlike narcotics, HSI partners with experts at local universities to identify and authenticate objects. Reports say faculty and research teams from the University of South Florida and the University of Pennsylvania are providing specialized analysis, historical context and conservation support. </p><p>Agents will work alongside domestic and international par…
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Former Bucs star Devin White lists sprawling mansion near Odessa for $3.5M
<p>When a love of horses, shoes and football come together, you get a jaw-dropping rural residence fit for a Super Bowl champion. The sprawling 7.6-acre estate near Odessa is the home of former Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker Devin White. He listed his mansion in April for 3.5 million.</p><p>It’s tucked away in the Keystone area behind a private gate and down a paved driveway with a beautiful tree canopy.</p><p>The expansive property features the main home with an attached three-car garage, an additional detached seven-car garage with 12-foot doors perfect for RV’s or horse trailers, and a breathtaking nine-stall barn. </p><h2>Bucs champion lists estate</h2><p>White is well known for his love of horses. He grew up riding in rural Louisiana. He said it was a way of life. It became an outlet for him when his brother died in a car accident when he was just 13, and it continued to be an escape throughout his adult life.</p><p>Realtor Colony Reeves tells FOX 13 White had all the stalls filled with his beloved horses when he lived at his Odessa estate. We remember him taking a victory lap inside Raymond James Stadium on his horse Dream with the Lombardi Trophy after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2021.</p><p>When you walk up to the house, it truly feels like you’re in the French countryside, and you can see how much love there is for horses as you tour the inside of the home.</p><p>The first thing you notice when you enter the home is the massive stone fireplace that gives that rustic feel, and of course, the beautiful, vaulted ceilings.</p><p>Directly across from the living roo…
Published August 16, 2026 at 9:51 AM EDT
Pizza Hut in Homosassa Springs revives classic 1980s look, sees sales soar
<p>A restaurant franchisee is bringing back 1980s nostalgia by transforming a <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/tag/us/fl/citrus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homosassa Springs</a> Pizza Hut into a retro dining room complete with vintage decor and traditional menu favorites. </p><p>"This is one of my favorite things, a pan pizza right out of the oven," Tim Sparks, the CEO of Daland Corporation, said. "It brings back great memories, right? This is my childhood."</p><p>At a Pizza Hut along Suncoast Boulevard, it's not just the pizza that takes you back. </p><p>It's the hut itself. </p><h2>Homosassa Springs retro Pizza Hut</h2><p>"One of the first things everybody sees is the checkerboard tablecloth," Sparks said. "As soon as you walk in the door, you get that checkerboard all over the room." </p><p>For eight years, Sparks — the owner of 82 dine-in Pizza Huts — has been making old, new again. </p><p>Thirty-nine of those 82 are now called "<a href="https://www.pizzahut.com/c/content/pizza-hut-classic-locations#ph-classic-locations-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pizza Hut Classic</a>." </p><p>There are salad bars, vinyl booths and Tiffany-style stained-glass lights above each table. </p><p>"They're part of our heritage," Sparks said. "It feels like Pizza Hut because of those lights." </p><p>And yes, there are the glistening red cups, which Sparks says are no empty gesture.</p><p>"We're getting guests who are coming [from] an hour or two hours away. And a lot of people truly don't believe that."</p><h2>Pizza Hut Classic transformation</h2><p>Their attempt to capture the…
Published August 14, 2026 at 11:58 PM EDT
Tampa Riverwalk expansion: Path along University of Tampa campus to open by end of year
<p>Construction crews are finishing a new 2,000-foot section of <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/tag/us/fl/hillsborough/tampa" target="_self" rel="noopener">Tampa's</a> Riverwalk expansion as part of the multi-million dollar effort to connect neighborhoods across the city.</p><h2><strong>Tampa Riverwalk expansion details</strong></h2><p>The newest section of the walkway creates a 12-foot-wide path running from Plant Park to Cass Street near The University of Tampa campus. The city says the trail will include dozens of palm trees, hammock stations and lighting.</p><p>This stretch of walkway represents one section of the broader West River BUILD project, which includes two miles of new riverwalk and three miles of road improvements.</p><p>"We have six different segments of the West River multi-modal project," City of Tampa's Mobility Director Brandon Campbell said. "This is one of five that are under construction right now. The sixth being the Columbus Drive segment that we are working with Hillsborough County. It is a Hillsborough County-owned roadway."</p><p>Campbell says they hope to start construction on that sixth section by the end of the year. The nearly $60 million project aims to connect West Tampa, East Tampa and downtown, creating a continuous 12-mile walkway from Water Street to Ballast Point when fully finished.</p><h2><strong>West Riverwalk project timeline</strong></h2><p>City officials have not specified an exact opening date for the Plant Park to Cass Street stretch along The University of Tampa's campus. It remains unclear when exactly construction on the…
Published August 14, 2026 at 11:57 PM EDT