Costa Rica arrests 5 child welfare agency officials on charges they trafficked children for adoption

Costa Rican authorities have arrested five officials from its child welfare agency on charges they were involved in trafficking children for the purpose of adoption. The head of the country’s main investigative agency says the case began in 2022 when the then-president of the child welfare agency reported irregularities in adoptions in one of the agency’s regional offices. The arrested officials worked as lawyers and social workers. They allegedly falsified reports to justify removing children from their families and then once in state care applied to adopt them or become temporary guardians.