SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on the federal charges related to Chinese birth tourism schemes (all times local):
12:13 p.m.
Three people charged with running schemes to bring Chinese women to the United States to give birth to babies who automatically hold American citizenship are due in court.
Dongyuan Li, Jing Dong and Michael Wei Yueh Liu are scheduled to appear in federal court in Santa Ana on Thursday.
Messages were left for Li and Dong's attorneys. No attorney was immediately listed for Liu on the court's website.
Authorities say all three were arrested Thursday in a crackdown on so-called birth tourism schemes aimed at bringing pregnant travelers to the United States to deliver their babies so the children will automatically have American citizenship. The charges include conspiracy and wire fraud.
Federal authorities raided the businesses in 2015.
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11:40 a.m.
Twenty people have been charged in the largest-ever crackdown on businesses that help Chinese women travel to the United States to give birth to babies who automatically became American citizens.
The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles says three people were arrested Thursday on charges including conspiracy, visa fraud and money laundering. More than a dozen others have also been charged in cases stemming from three so-called birth tourism businesses.
Authorities say it's the first time the U.S. has criminally prosecuted birth tourism operators.
The businesses allegedly billed Chinese women thousands of dollars to travel to California to deliver their babies so the children automatically obtained U.S. citizenship. Authorities say the women hid their pregnancies and lie about details of their trips.
Federal agents raided the businesses in 2015.
