On 11 May, the father reported them missing, prompting authorities to begin searching for the mother and children, and a European arrest warrant being issued.
The mother of the motorist who found the children told Portuguese media that one of the boys had said they were blindfolded and told to look for a hidden toy, but that when they took their blindfolds off their mother had vanished.
Authorities said the couple appeared to have no known connection to Portugal.
The couple’s backgrounds have gained attention in both France and Portugal. The woman’s LinkedIn profile describes herself as a sexologist specialising in “body-oriented practices, psychotrauma and developmental dynamics”.
The woman’s partner, aged 55, is a former French gendarmerie officer who left the force in 2010.
Local newspaper Correio da Manhã reported the couple could be heard in their separate cells “shouting at each other”.