Alleged 'Maternity Tourism' Rings Are Target of Federal Raids

Federal agents and local police raided dozens of apartments in about 20 luxury buildings across Southern California today in what may have been the biggest crackdown yet on three so-called "maternity tourism" rings.

Authorities call the locations "maternity hotels" because they act as housing for foreign women waiting to give birth to US-born citizens or caring for their newborns.

After an eight-month probe started when police received an anonymous tip, search warrants were served in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties as authorities sought evidence of suspected visa and tax fraud. A court affidavit today claimed the website You Win USA Vacation Resort was used to specifically attract pregnant Chinese women. Authorities said the women paid $15,000 to $50,000 for housing, food and transportation to medical services as well as visas allowing them to stay in the US legally.

"People who come from China to the United States for the sole purpose of having their children born as American citizens," said Claude Arnold of ICE and Homeland Security in Los Angeles. "These people are told to lie, how to lie, so that their motives for coming to the US wouldn't be questioned."

Authorities also said, according to The Associated Press, that the women were instructed to hide their pregnancies under loose clothing and told to lie about the reasons behind their traveling.

Linda Trust, a resident of one complex involved in the raid, said she'd seen groups of pregnant Chinese women and people bringing food to them.

"I saw a man that had like a big dolly thing piled to [the] ceiling with diapers," Trust told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles.

The alleged ringleaders are accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars and could face criminal tax fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges.

Federal agents with the Departments of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement estimated that since 2013, 400 babies born at one hospital had been linked to the alleged scam.

The pregnant women who were found were being treated as material witnesses. Authorities said that many of them were scared during the raids today. Paramedics were reportedly on hand just in case they went into labor.

No arrests were expected to be made and no charges were filed.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.