Baby Trafficking

Pregnant woman, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/aurimas_m/3423098686/, Author Aurimas Mikalauskas of Paliūniškis, Lithuania (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

In a joint operation between the United States and Mexico, authorities last year captured Martha Mendez Aguilar, known as “La Diabla” (“The Devil”), the head of a grisly baby trafficking ring called the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [1A].

“[This is an] example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations [1B].”

–Joe Kent, Dir. of National Counterterrorism Center

Pregnant women, often from impoverished circumstances, were lured to remote locations.  Once there, the mothers were murdered, and their organs and infants harvested for sale.  The infants were sold to couples for around $14,000 each.

Tragically, this cartel was not the only one to pursue baby trafficking.

Indonesian police uncovered an international baby trafficking ring believed to have sold at least 25 infants to buyers in Singapore since 2023 [2A].  Using Facebook, WhatApp, and other channels, this syndicate targeted expectant mothers who allegedly did not want to raise their infants.

Delivery costs were covered and a small amount of compensation paid to the mothers.  Then the infants were handed over.

In some cases, infants were actually reserved in the womb for purchasers and housed for as long as a year after birth, while fraudulent birth certificates, parental consent forms, medical records, and immigration documents were prepared.

Desperate Straits

“These clinics or shelters use language that sounds compassionate at first, such as ‘you can give birth and take your baby home’.  But in reality, they offer money and illegally transfer custody of the baby [2B].”

— Ai Rahmayanti, Commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI)

Child trafficking cartels are extremely sophisticated, often posing as maternity clinics, orphanages, or shelters which appear to care for vulnerable women and children [2C].

Typically, they target women in desperate straits – those suffering from financial hardship, trapped in debt bondage, abandoned by a spouse or partner, pregnant as the result of sexual violence whether by a partner or stranger, or simply pregnant from a casual sexual relationship [2D].

When manipulation fails, cartels will resort to criminal approaches including direct abduction (whether from hospitals, schools, playgrounds, or other public spaces), and crisis exploitation (natural disasters, civil unrest, or refugee settings) [7A].

Purposes

Infants and children may be trafficked for illegal adoption, prostitution or other sexual abuse, forced marriage, forced organ donation, forced labor or slavery, use in the drug trade, use as beggars, and use as child soldiers [3][4][5].  These can overlap [6].

Preferences

Where illegal adoption is the goal, baby traffickers carefully select infants based on criteria demanded by potential “adoptive” parents [7B].

• Infants and very young children are particularly sought after, since they will retain no memories of their biological families [7C].
• Infants with certain complexions, eye colors, or facial features may be targeted [7D].
• Infants without health or developmental issues are considered prime, so medical histories are frequently fabricated [7E].

Prevalence

In 2020, nearly 20,000 children worldwide were identified as trafficking victims.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Due to challenges in detection and reporting, the actual number is thought to be far higher [8].

Value of Human Life

As with all forms of abuse, the trafficking of infants and children reflects a total disregard for human dignity.  Infants and children are viewed as commodities, their lives valued only in terms of dollars and cents by those who participate in trafficking.

This is wholly contrary to the biblical view of the value of human life.  Our value derives from the fact we are created in God’s image.  Our life – at all stages – is precious in His sight.

The Bible calls for the protection and guidance of children, recognizing their vulnerability (Deut. 6: 6-7; Prov. 22: 6 and 29: 17).  It repeatedly warns against harming them (Lev. 18: 21, 20: 2-5; Deut: 12: 31; Ps. 106: 37; Prov. 19: 18; Isa. 57: 5; Matt. 18: 6 and 10; Mark 9: 42; Luke 17: 2; Eph. 6: 4; Col. 3: 21).

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matt. 19: 14).

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[1A and 1B]  CBS, “US intelligence leads to capture of alleged baby trafficking ringleader, cartel-linked ‘La Diabla’” by Nicole Sganga, 9/24/25, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baby-trafficking-ringleader-cartel-la-diabla/.

[2A through 2D]  BBC, “‘Reserved in the womb’ and sold for £500:  police bust baby trafficking ring” by Quinawaty Pasaribu and Gavin Butler, 7/17/25, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq536dew1l4o.

[3]  Wikipedia, “Trafficking of children”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficking_of_children.

[4]  Save the Children, “The Fight Against Child Trafficking:  Child trafficking is a crime – and represents the tragic end of childhood”, https://www.savethechildren.org/us/charity-stories/child-trafficking-awareness.

[5]  CPD Online College, “The Link Between Drug Trafficking and Child Criminal Exploitation” by Louise Woffindin, 3/14/24 (updated 1/15/25), https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/safeguarding/link-between-drug-trafficking-child-criminal-exploitation/.

[6]  US Dept. of Labor, “Tool No. 2:  Forced labour and related concepts”, https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/Conrad.Shannon.D%40dol.gov/TOOL_0~3.PDF.

[7A through 7E]  The Law Institute, “Understanding Human Trafficking – The Dark Façade of Illegal Adoption:  Trafficking’s Innocent Victims”, 12/13/23, https://thelaw.institute/understanding-human-trafficking/illegal-adoption-trafficking-innocent-victims/.

[8]  UN Office on Drugs and Crime, “Explainer:  Understanding Child Trafficking”, July 2024, https://www.unodc.org/unodc/frontpage/2024/July/explainer2_-understanding-child-trafficking.html.

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