Authorities have rescued 17 terrified children from the grip of Lev Tahor—an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group long accused of operating an international pedophile network of child exploitation, forced marriages, and human trafficking.
What began as whispers of international alerts ended in a dramatic confrontation in regional Colombia, pulling back the curtain on a cult that has evaded justice across continents for decades.
The operation unfolded swiftly in the rural town of Yarumal, involving Colombia’s Army Anti-Kidnapping Unit, immigration officials, and child protective services. Nine adult members of Lev Tahor—traveling with seven families—were detained during the raid, their black robes and head-to-toe coverings a stark contrast to the fluorescent-lit hotel lobby.
Gloria Esperanza Arriero, director of Colombia’s national immigration service, Migración Colombia, confirmed the details in a statement to the Associated Press, explaining the inspection was part of routine checks on foreign visitors but escalated after tips from international partners flagged the group’s presence.
Among the rescued minors—boys and girls ranging from toddlers to teenagers—five carried active Interpol “yellow notices,” alerts issued for missing or endangered children suspected to be victims of kidnapping or trafficking.
These children, hailing from the United States, Canada, and Guatemala, had reportedly entered Colombia just weeks earlier, flying in from New York on October 22 and 23. Authorities believe the families were using the hotel as a temporary hideout, part of Lev Tahor’s pattern of nomadic flight to evade scrutiny.
“The absolute priority is ensuring the protection of these minors,” Arriero told Newsweek, underscoring the coordinated response with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office and child-welfare agencies.
As of now, the children are in state custody, undergoing medical and psychological evaluations, while the detained adults face immigration violations and potential extradition probes tied to prior abuse allegations.
Lev Tahor: From “Pure Heart” to a Trail of Trauma
Founded in Jerusalem in the 1980s as a breakaway ultra-Orthodox movement—its Hebrew name translating to “pure heart”—Lev Tahor has devolved into what critics, including Israeli officials, openly call a pedophile cult.
With an estimated 50 families scattered across borders, the sect enforces draconian rules: women and girls must don all-black tunics that shroud them entirely, education is limited to religious indoctrination, and isolation from the outside world is absolute.
But beneath the pious facade lies a darker reality. Lev Tahor has been dogged by accusations of systematic child abuse, including forced marriages as young as 12, sexual exploitation, physical beatings, and even coerced pregnancies to “preserve bloodlines.”
The group’s history reads like a fugitive’s ledger: fleeing Canada in 2013 amid child welfare probes, resettling in Guatemala where a 2024 raid freed 160 minors from a jungle compound amid reports of rape and mistreatment.
In 2022, Mexican police arrested a sect leader near the Guatemalan border, rescuing women and children from similar horrors. Even farther back, in 2021, two Lev Tahor leaders were convicted in New York for kidnapping and child sexual exploitation.
Whispers of conspiracy swirl around the group: How does a fringe sect with no apparent wealth sustain globe-trotting escapes? Some speculate ties to sympathetic donors or even state-level protections in Israel, though evidence remains elusive.
Lev Tahor’s reach extends to unlikely havens—Iran, Bosnia, Morocco—prompting questions about whether it’s more than just religious zeal fueling its survival.
Israeli MK Gilad Kariv, chair of the Knesset’s Immigration Committee, hailed the Colombian raid as a “wake-up call,” urging his government to repatriate and rehabilitate Lev Tahor victims. “This shows the cult’s desperate efforts to hide,” he said. “Israel must act to rescue these children.”
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Authorities have rescued 17 terrified children from the grip of Lev Tahor—an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group long accused of operating an international pedophile network of child exploitation, forced marriages, and human trafficking.
What began as whispers of international alerts ended in a dramatic confrontation in regional Colombia, pulling back the curtain on a cult that has evaded justice across continents for decades.
The operation unfolded swiftly in the rural town of Yarumal, involving Colombia’s Army Anti-Kidnapping Unit, immigration officials, and child protective services. Nine adult members of Lev Tahor—traveling with seven families—were detained during the raid, their black robes and head-to-toe coverings a stark contrast to the fluorescent-lit hotel lobby.
Colombian authorities rescued 17 children from the Jewish Lev Tahor sect during a raid at a hotel, amid allegations of child abuse, kidnapping, forced marriages, pregnancies, and child trafficking.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) November 28, 2025
The children were kidnapped from their families, suggesting a possible… pic.twitter.com/fnLjft86L4
Gloria Esperanza Arriero, director of Colombia’s national immigration service, Migración Colombia, confirmed the details in a statement to the Associated Press, explaining the inspection was part of routine checks on foreign visitors but escalated after tips from international partners flagged the group’s presence.
Among the rescued minors—boys and girls ranging from toddlers to teenagers—five carried active Interpol “yellow notices,” alerts issued for missing or endangered children suspected to be victims of kidnapping or trafficking.
🚨 Desde @MigracionCol lideramos un operativo en Yarumal (Antioquia) junto al Gaula Militar Oriente, donde rescatamos 17 niños niñas y adolescentes de la secta judío ortoxa Lev Tahor. Cinco de ellos tenían circular amarilla de @Interpol pic.twitter.com/mqub1BwfGf
— Migración Colombia (@MigracionCol) November 23, 2025
These children, hailing from the United States, Canada, and Guatemala, had reportedly entered Colombia just weeks earlier, flying in from New York on October 22 and 23. Authorities believe the families were using the hotel as a temporary hideout, part of Lev Tahor’s pattern of nomadic flight to evade scrutiny.
“The absolute priority is ensuring the protection of these minors,” Arriero told Newsweek, underscoring the coordinated response with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office and child-welfare agencies.
As of now, the children are in state custody, undergoing medical and psychological evaluations, while the detained adults face immigration violations and potential extradition probes tied to prior abuse allegations.
Lev Tahor: From “Pure Heart” to a Trail of Trauma
Founded in Jerusalem in the 1980s as a breakaway ultra-Orthodox movement—its Hebrew name translating to “pure heart”—Lev Tahor has devolved into what critics, including Israeli officials, openly call a pedophile cult.
With an estimated 50 families scattered across borders, the sect enforces draconian rules: women and girls must don all-black tunics that shroud them entirely, education is limited to religious indoctrination, and isolation from the outside world is absolute.
But beneath the pious facade lies a darker reality. Lev Tahor has been dogged by accusations of systematic child abuse, including forced marriages as young as 12, sexual exploitation, physical beatings, and even coerced pregnancies to “preserve bloodlines.”
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| Ultra-orthodox Jewish women and children of the Lev Tahor sect |
The group’s history reads like a fugitive’s ledger: fleeing Canada in 2013 amid child welfare probes, resettling in Guatemala where a 2024 raid freed 160 minors from a jungle compound amid reports of rape and mistreatment.
In 2022, Mexican police arrested a sect leader near the Guatemalan border, rescuing women and children from similar horrors. Even farther back, in 2021, two Lev Tahor leaders were convicted in New York for kidnapping and child sexual exploitation.
Whispers of conspiracy swirl around the group: How does a fringe sect with no apparent wealth sustain globe-trotting escapes? Some speculate ties to sympathetic donors or even state-level protections in Israel, though evidence remains elusive.
Lev Tahor’s reach extends to unlikely havens—Iran, Bosnia, Morocco—prompting questions about whether it’s more than just religious zeal fueling its survival.
Israeli MK Gilad Kariv, chair of the Knesset’s Immigration Committee, hailed the Colombian raid as a “wake-up call,” urging his government to repatriate and rehabilitate Lev Tahor victims. “This shows the cult’s desperate efforts to hide,” he said. “Israel must act to rescue these children.”
По материалам: http://www.planet-today.com/2025/11/colombia-rescues-17-children-from-lev.html