TAMPA, Fla. (AP) _ The Spanish government is asking a judge to force Florida deep-sea explorers to hand over the last of the treasure they recovered from a 200-year-old shipwreck.
Last month, Spanish military planes flew home with nearly 600,000 silver coins and other artifacts after prevailing in a five-year legal battle over ownership with Tampa-based Odyssey Marine Exploration.
Now Spain wants the rest of it specifically some artifacts that Odyssey left behind in Gibraltar when it flew the coins to the United States in May 2007.
In a federal court filing, Spain has asked that Odyssey be forced to hand over the remainder of the booty from the frigate Nuestra Senora de Las Mercedes, which was sunk by British warships in 1804.
A hearing is scheduled for Friday morning.