CA Couple Arrested After 21 Kids Found in Surrogacy Operation, Including 17 Toddlers [WATCH]

Authorities in California have arrested a couple after they were discovered with 21 children, most of them toddlers, all reportedly born through surrogacy. Law enforcement officials are investigating whether the operation may have involved elements of trafficking, as reported by The New York Post.

Guojun Xuan, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, were taken into custody in Arcadia, California, after police discovered 15 children living in their home. Six additional children connected to the couple were found living in other locations, according to reports.

In California…21 babies and kids rescued after couple ‘tricked surrogates across the nation to carry babies for them’

Guojun Xuan, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38. pic.twitter.com/hUJSgWplsK

— Denise (@Likeshesays) July 16, 2025

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Of the 21 total children, 17 were under the age of three. The oldest was 13. Police became aware of the situation while responding to a report involving a two-month-old child who had suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Authorities believe the baby was injured by a nanny hired by the couple, 56-year-old Chunmei Li. The nanny remains at large and is currently being sought by police.

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Arcadia Police Lt. Kollin Cieadlo said the abuse was not isolated. “The discipline, both verbal and physical, was severe to the point where it supported the beliefs that child abuse was occurring inside the home,” he said.

Investigators believe the children are biological offspring of Xuan and Zhang, born through surrogates recruited via the couple’s own surrogacy business.

“Many of the children were birthed through surrogacy and then the male and female at the residence took legal guardianship of those kids,” Cieadlo said.

One of the surrogate mothers involved, Kayla Elliot, told KABC she was unaware the couple intended to raise the children themselves. “It’s horrific, it’s disturbing, it’s damaging emotionally,” she said.

Elliot claimed the couple’s ownership of the agency was never disclosed to her, and she is now seeking custody of the baby she delivered.

“Agencies—we’re supposed to trust them and follow their guidance. Come to find out this whole thing was a scam, and the parents own the agency,” Elliot said.

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Initially, Xuan and Zhang were not charged, but they were later arrested for child endangerment. The ongoing investigation includes efforts to locate the missing nanny, and child welfare agencies have taken custody of the children.

While there is no law in California prohibiting a couple from having multiple children through surrogacy, the number of young children and the structure of the operation have raised red flags. Kallie Fell, executive director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, told KABC:

“That to me smells of trafficking, child trafficking.”

Authorities continue to investigate the scope and legality of the operation, as well as the welfare of the children involved.

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