California authorities take 21 children into custody amid surrogacy scheme investigation

California officials are scrutinizing a manageable surrogacy scam after they rescued children linked to a Los Angeles-area couple Fifteen children taken from the couple's home as well as an additional six children discovered living elsewhere are now under the care of a child-welfare agency The children were between the ages of months and years old The Associated Press published LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE DRUGGED CHILD ACROSS SOUTHERN BORDERThe children's legal parents are considered to be -year-old Silvia Zhang and -year-old Guojun Xuan according to AP We believe one or two were born biologically to the mother Arcadia Police Lt Kollin Cieadlo disclosed There are several surrogates who have come forward and mentioned they were surrogates for the children GUATEMALAN NATIONAL INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLING TEEN GIRL INTO THE USAuthorities were tipped off after the couple was arrested earlier this year when a hospital broadcasted that their baby had a traumatic head injury However neglect charges were not formally pursued according to Arcadia police Cieadlo stated Zhang had what appeared to be legitimate birth certificates for the multiple children which list her as their mother and the duo had informed police that they sought a large family according to AP FIVE ILLEGALS CHARGED IN ALLEGED MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD I'm not familiar with how the surrogacy laws work Cieadlo stated We need to do a much deeper dive Los Angeles TV stations quoted several women who claimed to be surrogate mothers for Zhang and Xuan according to AP A company was previously registered at the couple's address called Mark Surrogacy Funding LLC The business license was terminated last month AP released citing business records with the California Secretary of State Arcadia Police and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services did not promptly respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment