. >> reporter: betsy emanuel already had four adopted children. >> when i saw maria, my life changed.er way to describe it. >> reporter: in 2006, she decided to adopt again. the three-year-old was being offered by celebrate children international. >> she is to die for. >> reporter: sue hedberg told her the toddler also had a baby sister available, but soon afterwards, c.c.i. told emanuel the birth mother had resurfaced, accompanied by armed men, and demanded both girls be returned. eventually emanuel would discover that several guatemalans are alleged to have abducted the girls. >> you don't remove children from their parents and then offer them for thousands of dollars. >> reporter: betsy began searching the internet for any information on the girls. she soon discovered their mother was searching for them, too. betsy emanuel helped reunite the family. >> i'm so happy to see you. >> reporter: and recently traveled to meet them for the first time. >> i'm overwhelmed. >> reporter: guatemalan authorities plan to charge a former c.c.i. facilitator, marvin bran, with human trafficking, but

betsy emanuel would help reunite the family and would meet them for the first time. >> i am overwhelmed working with him before irregularities surfaced. meanwhile the owens arrive in congo hoping to complete the adoptions before time runs out. >> is there anything else a person can do to convince the government that i care about these kids? >> wow, really tough. what are they doing to try and clean it up? >> there's a new law that takes affect that all american adoption agencies will have to meet the same standards and be accredited, but there is a little loophole that will allow agencies that can't get a accreditation accreditation. >> i am adopted, and i am very close to the family i was raised with and i think we need to continue focusing on the children. those are the people that need to be focused on the most in the adoption triad. >> thank you, maureen maher. we can see this on saturday night. you can see the full report "perilous journey" tomorrow night on "48 hours" here on cbs. >>> and we will learn how one brought a classic tv character and why he is a real romantic at heart.