# Child trafficking investigations in Spain and Portugal

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/child-trafficking-investigations-in-spain-and-portugal
> Updated: 2026-11-05T08:29:03.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

Legal proceedings have emerged regarding child trafficking schemes involving individuals in Spain and Portugal.

In Portugal, a court convicted three people for a scheme to sell a newborn baby for 2,500 euros. The transaction was organized via a Facebook group for clandestine adoptions. The biological mother, who had previously advertised her willingness to bear children for money, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to be expelled. A couple involved in falsely registering a man as the biological father received suspended sentences.

In a separate investigation known as Operación Luna, a court in Badajoz ordered provisional imprisonment without bail for three individuals suspected of involvement in a scheme to sell three minors between 2023 and 2025. The suspects, including the mother of the children, face allegations of child abandonment, document falsification, and illegal possession of weapons. During the operation, authorities located six minors, including two children in Portugal.

## Claims

- A court in Badajoz ordered provisional imprisonment without bail for three suspects. (reported by 2 sources)
- The investigation involves the alleged sale of three minors between 2023 and 2025. (reported by 2 sources)
- The three detainees include two men and the mother of the children. (reported by 2 sources)
- The suspects have exercised their constitutional right not to testify. (reported by 2 sources)
- Two girls, aged one and three, were located in Portugal. (reported by 2 sources)
- Two minors are under the guardianship of the Junta de Extremadura. (reported by 2 sources)
- The investigation includes charges of child abandonment and falsification of documents. (reported by 2 sources)
- The operation involved simultaneous searches in Badajoz, Montijo, and Linares. (reported by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-11-05: Badajoz court orders prison for three in alleged child trafficking ring

Three people, including a mother, face provisional prison in Badajoz for an alleged scheme to sell three minors between 2023 and 2025.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/badajoz-court-orders-prison-for-three-in-alleged-child-trafficking-ring

### 2026-11-01: Portugal court convicts three in baby trafficking scheme

Three people were convicted in Portugal for human trafficking after a mother sold her newborn to a couple for 2,500 euros via a Facebook group.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portugal-court-convicts-three-in-baby-trafficking-scheme

---
Cite as: Child trafficking investigations in Spain and Portugal. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/child-trafficking-investigations-in-spain-and-portugal