BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — On Monday, Colombia announced the repatriation of 26 members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect Lev Tahor to the United States, asserting that the rights of several children within the group were at risk. This action follows the group's detention, which occurred on November 22, during a police raid on their hotel in Yarumal, a city located in northwestern Colombia.
The authorities revealed that the group comprised 17 children and nine adults, all of whom were detained by immigration officials. Despite all children being accompanied by at least one parent, there were five minors holding American and Guatemalan passports who were subjects of Interpol yellow notices. These notices are international alerts aimed at locating missing persons or identifying victims of parental or criminal abduction.
During the past week, the group resided in a facility operated by Colombia's national immigration agency in Medellin. Here, the children were provided with assistance from the National Institute for Family Welfare in Colombia. Following this period, they were flown to New York, where U.S. officials met them upon arrival. American authorities indicated that they would investigate any potential pending charges against the adults while the children would be placed under the care of Child Protective Services.
Lev Tahor has faced legal challenges in multiple countries, with members of the sect accused of serious offenses, including child abduction and forcing minors into marriages with adults. In 2022, Guatemalan police conducted a raid on a Lev Tahor compound, leading to the protective custody of at least 160 minors and 40 women due to reports of sexual abuse. Furthermore, in the same year, Mexican authorities arrested a leader of the sect near the Guatemalan border and rescued a number of women and children from their compound. Earlier in 2021, two leaders of Lev Tahor were convicted in New York for crimes related to kidnapping and child sexual exploitation.
The origins of Lev Tahor date back to the 1980s, with its membership spanning several countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, and Israel. Gloria Eperanza Arriero, the director of Colombia's national immigration agency, stated that officials initiated the inquiry into Lev Tahor members following a tip-off from local residents regarding their presence in Yarumal. Arriero noted that the sect members had arrived in Colombia in October, actively searching for a rural property to establish a compound.
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Arriero remarked, "The positive thing in all of this is that we got to the children before they had a compound. Because in that case, we would have required a search warrant." This statement highlights the agency's proactive measures to intervene before the group could solidify its presence in Colombia.
The case of Lev Tahor underscores ongoing concerns related to the protection of children's rights and the challenges posed by sects that operate outside traditional societal norms. The Colombian government's actions reflect a commitment to safeguarding vulnerable minors from potential exploitation and abuse.
