Immigration and Naturalization Service officials said that they are conducting a criminal probe into adoption agencies that are bringing pregnant Russian women into the U.S. to give birth to their children and then give them up for adoption to U.S. citizens. The adoption agencies are suspected of paying the mothers’ airfare, living expenses and a wage for giving up their children.
An ABC statement said, “Russian recruiters, thought to be connected to the Russian mob, collect up to $15,000 for each pregnant woman they sign up to go to the United States. … The women are promised $1,000, a year’s salary for some in their country, and a round-trip plane ticket to have their babies in the U.S. and surrender them to an American couple.”
Nina Broyles, executive director of the Special Delivery adoption agency said that the mothers receive no money and that the agency does not “participate in the buying and selling of any baby.”
