Guatemalan adoption concerns
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From Times Wire Reports
Citing rampant problems of fraud and extortion, the State Department says it no longer recommends that Americans adopt children from Guatemala -- the No. 2 source of orphans coming to the United States.
Adoptions from Guatemala are popular because of relatively swift procedures and have increased, reaching 4,135 in 2006 -- second only to China.
U.S. officials said there were frequent cases of birth mothers pressured to sell their babies and adoptive American parents targeted by extortionists.
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