Surrogacy 'trafficking'? Unmarried Chinese couple in the US accused of massive baby scam — 21 kids placed in foster care

A California-based, unmarried Chinese couple is under scrutiny for allegedly running a massive surrogacy fraud operation that deceived potentially dozens of American women and placed 21 young children in questionable circumstances.

Guojun Xuan, 65, and his partner, Silvia Zhang, 38, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse in May, then released on bond pending further investigation, NBC News reported. Their brief arrests were sparked by hospital staff’s reports of child abuse after their 2-month-old son sustained traumatic head injuries.

'What you did — and what you continue to do by staying silent — is foul, reckless, and cruel.'

Video evidence obtained by the Arcadia Police Department allegedly revealed that the children in Xuan and Zhang’s care “were subjected to physical and emotional abuse” by nannies, abuse that authorities suspected the couple knew “was occurring and let ... happen.” The footage allegedly showed a 56-year-old nanny violently shaking and striking the 2-month-old child.

Authorities found 15 children in Xuan and Zhang’s nine-bedroom home and another six children staying with the couple’s friends. The 21 children, who ranged from 2 months to 13 years old, were placed and remain in foster care.

It is unclear how many children were born through surrogacy. The couple is believed to have one child together naturally, and Xuan is believed to be the biological father of a 13-year-old daughter.

Surrogate mothers claimed they were told the couple had either no children or only one child and were seeking surrogates after failed in vitro fertilization attempts. They also alleged that they were not made aware that Xuan and Zhang controlled the surrogacy agency representing them.

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Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang's home. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Surrogates told the Wall Street Journal in August that they had been in contact with federal agents, who informed them they were investigating whether the couple was selling children.

“We never sell our babies,” Zhang told the WSJ. “We take care of them very well.”

Several surrogate mothers are fighting for custody of the children they carried for the couple. Xuan and Zhang have filed lawsuits against at least two surrogates who ended contact with them before giving birth last fall, claiming a breach of contract.

Kayla Elliott, a surrogate mother, told NBC News in July that she was led to believe she was helping a couple struggling to conceive and was unaware that they had many other children. Elliott is fighting to obtain custody of the child, telling NewsNation that she suspects “there’s some type of trafficking going on.”

Tronderrica James, 30, another surrogate, filed a lawsuit against the couple, arguing that they gave misleading and false information about their intentions.

James stated that she was contacted by an individual named Jasmine in 2023, who described the couple as “longing for their miracle baby,” according to court documents. Jasmine allegedly claimed the couple could not speak with James directly because of “a language barrier.”

In an email to Xuan and Zhang, James wrote, “You gambled with my life. You gambled with the life of a child. You misled me, misrepresented your role, and may have broken multiple state and federal laws in the process — and you still haven’t had the decency to provide a single truthful explanation.”

“What you did — and what you continue to do by staying silent — is foul, reckless, and cruel,” James stated.

Xuan and Zhang reportedly remain under investigation. No criminal charges have been filed.

In the past six months, the couple has had another five babies born to surrogate mothers, the New York Post reported.

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Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images

Xuan and Zhang have denied any wrongdoing, claiming that they just wanted to have a large family.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office told Blaze News that the matter remains under review by the Arcadia Police Department.

The FBI declined comment.

Xuan, Zhang, James, and the Arcadia Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

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