Guatemala Army Kidnapped, Sold 333 Children

System is so speedy it's wide open to abuse, critics say

(NEWSER) - Thousands of Americans are caught in heartbreaking limbo as Guatemala debates new rules for its adoption system, the AP reports. US families await 3,700 kids, but Guatemala wants to regulate what many call a crime-ridden $100 million business that includes coercion and kidnapping. The US has asked for current adoptions to be okayed, but Guatemala claims that 1,000 cases already show problems. More»

(NEWSER) - Guatemala and Vietnam, two of the most popular countries for international adoptions, recently halted their programs, following reports that some babies are kidnapped and put up for adoption or birth mothers coerced—fueled by the $30,000 an adoption can fetch. Vietnam says it will no longer allow adoptions to the US, while Guatemala will resume them only after slogging through a case-by-case review of pending adoptions. More»

Most babies going to US parents

(NEWSER) - Guatemala has suspended roughly 2,300 adoptions in an effort to prevent fraud, the BBC reports. The hold-up, for at least a month, will allow authorities to verify—using DNA testing if necessary—that each child is a legitimate candidate. Charges of baby-snatching and other fraud have prompted a crackdown on the adoption system that channeled 4,700 children to American parents last year. More»

Embassy probe finds fraud, bribery

(NEWSER) - US adoptions of Vietnamese children are tainted by bribery, kidnapping and baby-selling, according to an investigation by the US Embassy. The report, obtained by AP, discovered that one hospital sold a baby whose mother couldn't pay her medical bills. US couples—including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt—have adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese children in the last 18 months. More»

Possibly killed before could talk about Dirty War disappearances

(NEWSER) - Days before he was to testify about the Dirty War disappearance of twins born to a political prisoner, a former Argentine army officer has been found dead of a gunshot wound to the head, the BBC reports. Police don't know if Paul Navone committed suicide but human rights groups think he might have been murdered to stop him from talking. More»