US adoption suspects due in Haiti court

Ten US citizens, arrested under suspicion of illegally adopting 33 children from Haiti, could be brought before a judge as early as Tuesday.

The five men and five women are in custody in the capital, Port-au-Prince. They were detained in a routine search of their vehicle on Friday night at Malpasse,

Haiti's main border crossing with the Dominican Republic. Authorities say the Americans had no documents to prove they had been cleared to adopt the 33 children and everything will be done according to the Haitian constitution and international law.

Aramick Louis, Haitian Sec'y of State for Public Safety, said, "The government has given instructions that are very clear about the adoptions, everything has to be done in a formal way and with international organizations. That's what I'm clear about, everything must be done in that way."

Children suspected of being involved in an illicit adoption scheme are seen in a local police car in Port-au-Prince January 30, 2010. REUTERS/Guy Delva