An international child smuggling ring has been broken up in the US.
The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) said hundreds of children were smuggled into the United States from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The ring was the largest child-smuggling operation ever broken up by the INS.
Three alleged ring members were arrested in Houston. They were all charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. The ring reportedly began operating in 1994 and targeted children whose parents were already were in the country illegally.
INS officials say parents paid the smugglers US$5,000 per child.
Alleged ringleaders Ms Berta Campos and Mr Guillermo Antonio Paniaqua were arrested in July.
The child smuggling ring was broken up in Guatemala in April when seven buses were intercepted by local authorities. Officers found 53 children, ranging in age from two to 17.
AP