A months-long discreet operation revealed an archeological treasure: a massive Roman-era vessel packed with amphorae resting on the seafloor of Salento in the Ionian Sea. The surprising finding was made in June 2025 during routine sea patrols by the Guardia di Finanza, who used the most advanced on-board instruments to detect an anomaly on the seabed. Subsequent dives conducted with the assistance of specialized personnel revealed the presence of the wreck of a large late-imperial Roman ship with its amphora cargo intact. The need to protect this important underwater deposit led to a unanimous decision to keep the discovery a secret in order to avoid the risk of looting and preserve the potential information stored in the archaeological deposit while the best intervention strategy was developed. A total of €780,000 has been allocated for archaeological investigation and underwater heritage protection operations.