• Submitted by: admin
• Caribbean
• international
• Society
• United States
• Personalities
• 02 / 02 / 2010

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Ten US citizens were detained in Haiti, accused of kidnapping children to take them out of the country, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The detainees will face judicial charges for being alleged members of a people smuggling network that is taking advantage of the chaotic situation in Haiti.

Those US citizens were captured when trying to cross the border, heading for the Dominican Republic. They said to be members of a religious group called New Life Children's Refuge.

According to Haitian authorities, they are five men and five women, and the 33 kidnapped children range from 2 months to 12 years of age.

The majority of the detainees belong to a non-governmental congregation in Idaho, and had no legal documents to take the children out of the country.

Source: PL