Israel Nations News has reported the arrest of a suspected human trafficker connected to the cult Lev Tahor. INTERPOL apprehended and arrested Yoel Alter in front of a government facility that treats minors in Guatemala City.
Dressed in the cult’s distinctive brown cloak at the time of his arrest, Alter is wanted by authorities in Mexico on allegations of human trafficking and is anticipated to be extradited shortly.
This arrest occurs amidst a significant crisis relating to the cult in Guatemala, where 148 children are currently detained after being separated from parents implicated in severe abuse allegations.
Officials assert that the young mothers within the cult are accused of deliberately starving their children under the cult’s leadership, pressing the government into action.In December, law enforcement executed a raid on Lev Tahor’s compound in Santa Rosa, Guatemala, rescuing approximately 160 minors and 40 women from the disturbing conditions there.
Alter’s arrest marks the second instance of a cult member being detained in Central America within a month; earlier, Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo was captured while fleeing following charges of child abuse.,In January 2025, Guatemalan authorities reported that members of the extremist Jewish sect Lev Tahor in custody assaulted police officers.
In a separate incident in January, El Salvador police arrested Cardona Castillo while he attempted to cross the border from Guatemala, where he faces charges related to human trafficking, rape, and abuse of minors.
Authorities in El Salvador coordinated with their Guatemalan counterparts to facilitate his extradition for potential prosecution. The situation escalated after four minors fled the Lev Tahor community, leading to a police raid that removed around 160 children and adolescents.
An Israeli court described Lev Tahor as a “dangerous cult,” which adheres to an extreme interpretation of Judaism, isolating its members from society. Tensions surged as Lev Tahor women and children confronted law enforcement while in custody.
Lev Tahor, established in the 1980s by its founder Helbrans in Jerusalem, has been mired in allegations of child abuse for years. The group has evaded authorities by crossing borders, having sought refuge in nations like Canada, Iran, Bosnia, and Morocco at various points in time.
Since settling in Guatemala in the mid-2010s, they have operated from a secluded compound near the border with El Salvador.
A spokesperson for Lev Tahor, Uriel Goldman, claimed the group is a target of religious and political persecution by the Israeli government, asserting that their attempts to gain refugee status in Canada angered Israeli authorities over a decade ago, tarnishing Israel’s reputation.
Goldman criticized the conditions experienced by detained members, describing them as being held in “concentration camp” conditions without adequate shelter. This incident compounds the existing challenges that authorities face following last month’s operation to rescue numerous children from Lev Tahor due to severe abuse allegations.
The group has faced a decline since its leadership was imprisoned over kidnapping charges in New York, according to detractors. In a prior interview, a Lev Tahor representative dismissed the claims of abuse.
INTERPOL plays a crucial role in international law enforcement collaboration, forming a network of cooperation among 196 member countries to improve global safety.
The organization facilitates the sharing and access to crime-related data, with the General Secretariat overseeing daily operations. Each country houses an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), acting as the primary liaison for contacting the General Secretariat and coordinating with other NCBs, typically staffed by national police officials.
Lev Tahor is a controversial Jewish sect, which some have labeled as a cult, that has been plagued by numerous allegations of child abuse. While the group positions itself as strictly Orthodox, many observers have noted that it functions more like a personality cult.
Former members have reported that instead of engaging with traditional Jewish texts, the community focuses solely on the writings of its deceased leader, Shlomo Helbrans.
Established in the late 1980s in Israel, this sect has since relocated across various countries, including Canada, the United States, Guatemala, and Israel (aa.com.tr).
In its attempts to evade law enforcement, Lev Tahor has traversed multiple nations in recent years. Accusations against the group include child marriages, trafficking, and various forms of abuse, leading to the arrest of several of its leaders.
The Jewish community in Guatemala has explicitly separated itself from Lev Tahor, aligning with authorities in their mission to safeguard vulnerable populations, particularly minors. Ongoing investigations continue to scrutinize the activities of this contentious sect.
Ref
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/402906
https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/What-is-INTERPOL#:~:text=Home,Connecting%20police
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