California Couple Faces Investigation After 21 Surrogate Children Seized

Authorities in Arcadia, California, have taken 21 children into protective custody from a couple, Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang, amid an investigation into child abuse and a surrogacy scam. The children, ranging from 2 months to 13 years old, were all born through surrogate mothers working with a surrogacy agency owned by the couple, who allegedly kept the children instead of placing them with intended families. Investigators found evidence of severe verbal and physical abuse by the children's nanny, Chunmei Li, who is now wanted by police. The couple was arrested for felony child endangerment but later released, with no charges filed yet, while the FBI is involved due to concerns about the unusual surrogacy operation and potential child trafficking. The $4.1 million mansion where the children lived was reportedly set up like a hotel, and some surrogate mothers claim they were misled about the arrangements. Child welfare officials and bioethics experts have raised concerns about the unregulated surrogacy practices and potential trafficking implications.