UK Abandons £5.5bn Treasure Hunt Off Gibraltar to Avoid Spain's Wrath

The UK renounced the search for the remains of the HMS Sussex, a British Royal Navy galleon believed to contain a treasure of 10 tons in gold coins worth £5.5 billion, to avoid displeasing the Spanish government. The HMS Sussex sank in 1694 in waters east of Gibraltar, and American treasure-hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration had located the wreck in disputed waters between the UK and Spain. However, a British diplomat advised against pursuing the search due to potential diplomatic tensions with Spain over the sensitive issue of Gibraltar.