Guatemalan police have arrested a leading member of the notorious pedophile-linked Jewish sect Lev Tahor, who was wanted in Mexico on suspicion of human trafficking.
The arrest was made in the context of an ongoing conflict between the authorities and the sect, where a large number of children have been taken into custody following repeated allegations of abuse.
The arrested man, Yoel Alter, 35, an Israeli citizen, was detained near a government center in the Guatemalan capital, where children of the Lev Tahor sect are currently being held after being separated from their parents.
Alter, who is now requested to be extradited to Mexico to stand trial for suspected human trafficking, was taken in a brown tunic and handcuffs to court where a judicial review of his case will be conducted.
The arrest is the first since the conflict between the sect and the authorities escalated in December. At that time, the prosecutor’s office raided a property in the department of Santa Rosa, about 90 kilometers from the capital, where several members of the sect live.
A total of 148 children have been taken into custody by the authorities and separated from their parents following allegations of various forms of abuse and other violations of the law, according to the supervising institution, the Procuraduría General de la Nación (PGN).
BREAKING INTERPOL have arrested Yoel Alter, an 35 year old Israeli who is a member of Lev Tahor, the world’s largest child sex trafficking ring.
Over 160 children have been rescued from this Jewish pedophile gang.
You might want to ask yourself why the media, politicians and… pic.twitter.com/ElM2uzljnl
— Pelham (@Resist_05) January 28, 2025
Top leader arrested in El Salvador
According to the authority, they have received reports of suspected child abuse within the sect and confirmed that at least one minor was living in a marriage-like relationship with an adult, which is prohibited by Guatemalan law.
The sect, Lev Tahor, has protested against the taking into custody of the children and in several cases has clashed physically with police when trying to recover them.
It should be noted that the Jewish sect has come into conflict with the authorities not only in Guatemala following allegations of child abuse, forced marriages and human trafficking. Earlier this year, El Salvador announced the arrest of Jonathan Emmanuel Cardona Castillo, a 23-year-old Salvadoran citizen who has been identified as the group’s senior leader and is wanted in Guatemala.
Lev Tahor is an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect founded in Israel in 1988 by Shlomo Helbrans. The sect, whose name means "pure heart", has between 200 and 300 members and follows a fundamentalist interpretation of Jewish law.
The sect is known for its long prayer sessions, arranged marriages between teenagers, and a strict dress code where girls and women wear all-black clothing from the age of three. Guatemalan authorities have accused the group of child abuse, pedophilia and rape, and several members have been prosecuted and convicted over the years for kidnapping, sexual assault and child abuse.
Lev Tahor has moved between several countries over the years, often in an attempt to avoid government intervention. First established in Israel (1988-1990), the sect moved to the United States (1990-2000), then back to Israel (2000-2003), to Canada, and has also moved between Mexico and a number of countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The movement between countries often occurs as child protection authorities and law enforcement agencies open investigations against the group for suspected abuse.
