Guatemala / Costa Rica - International Adoption Resource (FL) and Rolf Levy case

  
    Carlos Robles              Rodrigo Johanning Quesada

Costa Rican authorities discovered 9 Guatemalan babies in a house rented by International Adoption Resource. The children were destined for adoption in the US while Guatemalan adoptions were on hold. Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Rolf Salomon Levy Berger alleging he smuggled the children to Costa Rica. Levy was also wanted by the Colombian government for child trafficking. The children were returned to their families, who did not realize the children were to be adopted. The mothers had been paid for their children.

Rolf was listed as an employee or consultant of IAR. IAR said the Guatemalan mothers were transported to Costa Rica to give birth where local attorneys would arrange the adoptions for US families. Carlos Robles, a Costa Rican attorney, connected with the operation, plus two Hondurans, four Guatemalans, and a Swiss national, were jailed in September 2003 by Costa Rican authorities.

Rolf Levy, an Israeli citizen, had as many as 20 aliases including Rafael Leyva, Rafael levy, Rolf Salomon Levy Berger, and multiple Social Security numbers. Rolf Salomon Levy Berger was wanted by Colombia for his involvement in ``kidnapping and trafficking in children as well as homicide for lack of medical attention of one of the children that he offered for sale". He had arranged South American adoptions for Israeli citizens for many years.

Date: 2003-12-12

Number of children: 9

Location

La Uruca district of San Jose, San Jose
Costa Rica