Five officials from Costa Rica’s child welfare agency have been arrested on charges that they were involved in trafficking migrant children for adoption, authorities said Wednesday.
Randall Zúñiga, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency, said in a video statement that the case began in 2022, when the then-president of the child welfare agency reported irregularities in adoptions at one of the agency’s regional offices.
The arrested officials worked as lawyers and social workers.
“The investigation was able to determine that these people apparently included false information in the reports that were generated. For example, they said that the family used drugs in order to exclude the minor from the family and take him to a care center,” Zúñiga commented.
Once the minors were in state care, the defendants allegedly filed a petition to adopt them or to be appointed temporary guardians and receive a government salary.
Authorities have not said how many children were involved or whether they have been located. Officials also did not specify where the migrant children came from.
The Office of the Deputy Prosecutor against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants said it had requested that the officials be prevented from leaving the country. Costa Rican authorities issued an international arrest alert for a sixth official.
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