Family Life

02.16.10 | FL News Team

The case of the ten American missionaries being held in Haiti on child kidnapping charges developed a twist on Monday. A Haitian judge ruled that he would further investigate the case following a report that a legal advisor working with the group is currently under investigation in El Salvador for suspected human trafficking. The charges leveled against Dominican Republic-national Jorge Puello have now complicated a case that has dragged on since the group was arrested on January 29th. Puello is being investigated for recruiting Caribbean and Central American women and then forcing them into prostitution. Judge Bernard Sainvil said Monday that he would investigate to find out if there is a link between Puello and Laura Silsby, the leader of the Idaho-based group.

 The missionaries were taken into custody at the Dominican border with a busload of 33 children. The group said they were taking the children to an orphanage, but they did not have the proper documents. Last week a judge ruled that the group had no criminal intentions taking the children and hinted they could go free within days. Meanwhile, "The New York Times" reports that Puello claims he's never been to El Salvador and that it was a case of mistaken identity. But a Haitian attorney says Puello has disappeared after taking 30-thousand dollars meant to pay Haitian lawyers who were representing the Americans.