Brooklyn Bridge flags back on US soil, returned from Germany

NEW YORK -- The two American flags swiped from the Brooklyn Bridge and replaced with white ones are back on U.S. soil.

New York Police Department spokesman Sgt. Carlos Nieves said Friday that the flags are in the United States. He did not know their exact location.

Two German artists claimed responsibility for the July 22 stunt.

Berlin-based artists Mischa Leinkauf and Mattias Wermke said they replaced the flags atop the bridge with bleached-out versions as a tribute to public art and to the bridge's architect. They confirmed in an email Friday that the flags have been returned to U.S. officials.

The flag switch raised questions about security on one of New York's most visible landmarks.