BREAKING NEWS: Adoption Attorney Susana Luarca in Custody

May 6th, 2011 Erin Siegal/

Susana María de la Asunción Loarca Saracho, known to many Americans by her pen name “Susana Luarca,” has been taken into custody (“captured”) at her residence in Zone 10 of Guatemala City a little over an hour ago, at approximately 4:45 p.m. Police officers, CICIG investigators, and agents from the Ministerio Público were present for the arrest.

Loarca’s arrest follows an April 19, 2011 decision by the First Penal Court of Guatemala City to overturn a prior arrangement made by the Third Court of Appeals, which allowed Loarca to remain free on bail and house arrest. She is being charged with conspiracy, trafficking in persons for illegal adoption and use of false documents.

The case against Loarca, informally known as “the Asociación Primavera case” or “the Primavera case” to Guatemalan investigators, involves a network of at least seven people who will face criminal charges related to illegal adoption and human trafficking of the child known as Karen Abigail López García. There is also an arrest warrant out for Marvin Josue Bran Galindo (known as Marvin Bran), who first offered “Karen Abigail” as an adoptable orphan to the US adoption agency Celebrate Children International. His whereabouts are currently unknown.